


Saving the Sacred

by emmahanson465



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbedore Bashing, Angst, BAMF Hermione Granger, Blood Magic, Death Eaters, Exhibitionism, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Porn With Plot, Post-Hogwarts, Rating: M, Regulus Black deserved so much better, Resurrection, Romance, Sex Magic, Smut, So did every other character tbh, Spanking, Threesome - F/M/M, Voyeurism, slight praise kink?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-02-19 06:42:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 110,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13118226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmahanson465/pseuds/emmahanson465
Summary: Hermione Granger makes an outrageous discovery after confiscating a box from Lestrange Manor. But, this is not the first one that she has found. Hermione finds out the reason why the boxes refuse to open, but what is so special about them? She learns that they hold the power to bring back the dead. What will she do now?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first fanfic that I have ever written. I have no imagination, so coming up with a storyline was hard for me, so if it sucks then just know this is the reason why. I'm also really nervous about posting this, so please go easy on me. Anyway, the reason I decided to write this was that I really enjoy rare pairings, and there isn't a significant amount of them that are written. Therefore, I thought I would come up with a story and post it for others who have the same interests. It is somewhat OOC, so remember this before you begin reading. The rating has changed to explicit because I've decided to include smut. I will post whenever I can, but mostly only if others end up liking it and wanting more chapters. Let me know if you want me to continue the story or not. None of the pairings will be introduced until later on.

Her deep, red robes billowed behind her; almost a perfect replica of Professor Snape himself. Her curly hair that seemed to have a life of its own was swaying from side to side with each step she took. The frizzy hair from Hogwarts had tamed itself years after the war. Instead, it hung down her back; plaited curls that flowed through the light brown locks. You could hear the clicking of her heels, as she strode down the halls of the Ministry of Magic.

“Lovely day, isn’t it Miss Granger?” Hermione looked at the old woman sitting behind the front desk. She smiled and replied politely back.

“It is quite lovely, Mrs. Chamberlain. Have you heard anything back from Mr. Malfoy regarding the meeting I wish to have with him?” Hermione had decided that in order to find the information that she needed, she would have to go as far as to conduct a one-on-one meeting with the ex-death eater.

The woman behind the desk pursed her lips in question and replied back. “I suspect so, if the large white owl that dropped off a letter onto your desk this morning has anything to do with it. Quite fitting for a Malfoy, wouldn’t you say?”

Hermione’s lips quirked into a small smile, letting out a huffed laugh. “Thank you for letting me know, and yes I would have to agree with you on that one, Mrs. Chamberlain. I’ll just be heading off to my office now. Don’t forget to eat lunch, that’s why such a thing as a lunch break exists!”

Hermione had found out a few days earlier that her assistant was rubbish with time management, and ended up getting lost in her work. She couldn’t blame the woman though; she had the same problem too.

“Thank you, dear. Have a good day!” The old woman called out to Hermione as she started walking away.

Hermione waved her hand behind her, signaling her leave.

As she walked into her office, she saw what she had been looking for. Sitting on top of her old, mahogany desk, lay a crisp letter enclosed by a large wax seal, a red “M” right on the center. Breaking the seal and sliding out the piece of parchment, she began to read the elegant scroll of Lucius Malfoy.

“ _Miss Granger,_ ” the letter started.

“ _I am ever so intrigued as to why you are requesting a meeting with myself. As you know, I am quite a busy man, but I will allow some time out of my hectic week just for you._ ”

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes at his pompous words. _What an infuriating man! Only two sentences into the letter and he has already boasted about himself._

“ _As I am quite interested in what you have to say, let us have this meeting today. Shall we say, 2:30 pm, this afternoon? Forgive me for being presumptuous, but I am quite certain you have questions that only I can answer. I cannot imagine why else you would request to meet with me. I shall come, and we can discuss your inquiries._

_Signed,_

_**Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy**._ ”

Hermione scoffed at the letter and dropped it back on her desk. His conceited personality practically oozed through the words.

 _What an exasperating man._  She thought to herself with a sneer. He always knew how to grate on Hermione’s nerves.

“Okay, it’s about 10:45 right now. That gives me four hours to sort through these reports until that arsehole shows up.” Hermione muttered to herself as she sat down to begin her work.

She liked her job. Not always, especially when it came to filling out missives such as the ones she was currently working on, but there were perks to her job as well.

Working in the department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts came as quite a shock to everyone. Some thought she would become the next Alastor Moody; an incredible Auror. Others thought she would end up becoming a professor at Hogwarts.

She was offered both of these positions amongst others. She nearly took up the job at Hogwarts to become an apprentice for Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, but she wasn’t too sure that she was ready for that position; especially with all of the work that would come with it.

Of course, Hermione loved to work hard and come up with lesson plans, but she wanted to take a break from being at Hogwarts 24/7, and instead take up work someplace more low maintenance. She knew Arthur Weasley worked in this department and saw the enthusiasm he had for his job. So Hermione decided she would try out working for the Ministry, and then accept the apprenticeship from Minerva after a few years or so.

* * *

 

Hours had passed, and it was nearing 2:25 pm by the time she had finished all of her work.

 _Mr. Malfoy will be here in five minutes,_  a _nd probably not a second late_ , thought Hermione.

 _Always punctual and perfect. How on earth can he keep up his facade for so long?_  Hermione wondered to herself.

She was startled out of her thoughts as three solid knocks landed on the door to her office.

“Shite...” Hermione swore as she rapidly organized all of the papers on her desk and stuffed them into the right-hand drawer.

She stood up, her hands straightening out her black pencil skirt, and pushing a few stray curls behind her ear.

 _Wait,_  thought Hermione. _Why am I fixing myself up for Lucius Malfoy?_

She stopped herself from righting anything else and walked over to the door to open it.

Standing on the other side was none other than Lucius Malfoy, looking tall and haughty with his cane; the silver snake head clutched tightly in his hand which was covered in a black leathered glove. His hair was still long as ever but was now tied back with a black ribbon. His robes were immaculate: all black, with a single silver snake that held together his outer robe, with insides that were lined with green satin.

 _Well,_  Hermione thought to herself. _He still looks as opulent as before…_

Lucius suddenly spoke in his low timbre voice, shaking Hermione out of her thoughts. “Miss Granger, what a pleasure to see you, and I must say, you _truly_ are a sight for sore eyes...”

Hermione grimaced, giving him a stiff smile at his words. His low-blow insult managed to provoke her anger.

“Yes good afternoon Lord Malfoy, please do come in.” She spat.

Lucius’ eyes hardened in contempt as she sarcastically referred to him as “Lord Malfoy.” Not that she was wrong, he truly was Lord Malfoy, but he knew this feisty little witch would never call him by such a high title with sincerity.

 _That’s fine; it would mean nothing to me if it was coming from a Mudblood like her,_  Lucius mused to himself.

He would never let her know this though, not after working so hard to rebuild the Malfoy name after the war. One slip of the tongue, especially around the famous war heroine, would throw away all of the progress that he has made. He’d be damned if he let that happen.

He sauntered into her shabby office and eyed the small wooden chair sitting in front of her desk. _Oh for Salazar’s sake, the bint doesn’t even have armrests on her bloody chairs! She’s expecting me to sit in_ that _?_  He thought to himself.

“Please sit down, Mr. Malfoy,” she said, as she gestured for him to sit in the chair that she saw him disgustedly glare at.

“I would offer you some tea, but I think we both know that you would decline. I doubt the Ministry’s tea would be good enough for you, Lucius. May I call you by your given name, Lucius? I, of course, offer for you to call me by mine.” She smirked at Malfoy. Hermione swore she could see the fire burning behind his cold, silver eyes.

She wouldn’t tolerate his sly remarks and contemptuous glares.

“What a _privilege_ I am being given, Miss Granger. Of course, you may call me whatever you please. I would be honored to call you by your name, Hermione.” Lucius smiled to himself. Nothing wrong with a little friendly bantering.

He had to give her props; she was playing dirty. But no one played dirty better than Lucius Malfoy, himself.

Hermione smirked at the sarcastic tone that took over his words. “Perfect, Lucius. Now, onto the matter at hand.” She clasped her hands together as she began.

“As you know, my work here in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department involves acquiring many dark objects that have been cursed or charmed; objects such as rings, medals, even _diaries_. I’m sure you’re quite familiar with artifacts such as these, Isn’t that right Lucius?”

She was playing with fire after that comment, and she completely knew it.

Of course, everyone was aware that it was he, who had slipped Tom Riddle’s diary into Ginny’s cauldron, that day in Flourish & Blotts.

He sternly lifted his head, and his body seemed to go rigid for a few seconds. His eyes were staring icily at her.

“No matter.” Hermione resumed her speech. “These incidents are in the past, Lucius.” She smirked.

“As I was saying, my job deals with artifacts that have been tampered with, or have any trace of magic on them. Now, in order to acquire these objects, my colleagues and I are involved in raids, alongside Aurors who are originally sent out to conduct these raids.”

“Miss Gra-Hermione,” he fixed himself. “I am aware of the many departments within the ministry, and their duties. Please, do get to the point.” Lucius abruptly interrupted Hermione’s explanation.

She shook her head, “Of course Lucius, you are right.”

She was dragging this on too much. The quicker she got to the point of the matter, the faster she would be rid of him.

“Anyway, I was called in on a recent raid that was conducted in the Lestrange Manor. As it has become abandoned- because of the extinction of the bloodline, Magical Law Enforcement has decided that it should be cleaned out of all objects that could be dangerous. Many of the Lestrange’s belongings were tainted with dark magic, but all have been able to be deemed safe again,” she paused. “Except one.”

Hermione stood up and walked over to the large cabinet located in the farthest corner of the room. The keys to the cabinet clinked together as she dug them out of her pocket. She slowly unlocked and opened the door, walking out with an object covered by a dirty sheet, cradled in her hands. She carefully walked back to her desk and seated herself with the object right in front of her-a reasonable distance away from Lucius- just to be sure.

As she looked at him, she watched the way his head tilted to the side in wonderment.

She decided to save him the questioning thoughts and began to explain. “This object I have here was unable to be opened and could not be, how shall I put it, ‘cleansed’ of the magic placed on it.”

The witch grabbed the sheet covering the object and tugged it out of the way. She watched Lucius as she did this, interested in seeing his reaction.

As soon as the artifact was revealed, Hermione could see that Lucius was disturbed. His eyes that were previously filled with mirth were now dead. Though, they had widened for a brief second when he had first caught sight of it. His body was taut, and the sound of leather tightening against metal was heard, as his hands clenched onto his cane.

Hermione had gotten exactly the reaction she anticipated.


	2. Chapter 2

“Lucius, does this box look familiar to you? Maybe something you’ve seen at the Lestrange’s, or maybe even at your _own_ manor?” She asked him slyly.

“This box here would be slightly different to the one you would own, though. Wouldn’t it? Because you see, this box is not the first that has been confiscated by myself.” She paused slightly to see Lucius’ eyebrows flinch for a second before returning to the lifeless state. “There was also another box, found in Grimmauld place. You know where that is, ‘The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.’ Of course, though, it is now home to the Potter family. Which brings me to my next point.” Hermione stood up, pacing behind her desk, as she began her long story.

“See, a little while ago Harry decided that he was going to clean out the old room belonging to Regulus Black. Do you remember Regulus Black?” Lucius’ body twitched as she asked him that, confirming her question.

“Well, as Harry was cleaning up the closet, he stepped on a creaky floorboard. The house is old, you know, so Harry did not think much of it. Until one day, when his son was crawling around the room- as it was converted into the child’s playroom- and was nicked on his knee. Not a deep cut, but enough for the child to of course begin crying, alerting Harry to his son. As he went to pick up James from the floor, he saw what had cut the boy in the first place. A floorboard was sticking out slightly on one end, in the same area as the old closet was. Of course, Harry did not wish for his child to get hurt again, so he decided to change the flooring of the whole room into carpet, to avoid it from happening again. As he was ripping up the board that had caused the accident to happen in the first place, he found something rather odd underneath it.”

Hermione sucked in a breath and continued to speak. “There was a small hole in the floor, about the size of a box. Actually, about the size of _this_ box right here.” Hermione motioned her hand towards the box that had jarred Lucius a short while ago.

She looked at him and noticed he was getting quite nervous, and continued.

“The strange thing is, there _was_ a box in there. It looked somewhat like this box, but it had the Black family crest on it, and the words “ _Sacrae Familiae_ ” carved in Latin onto the front of the box, meaning ‘Family of the Sacred,’ as I’m sure you already know.” 

Of course, he was a knowledgeable man and would have been taught these things as a child growing up. The pureblood culture was so much different from muggle-born culture, and even half-blood culture as well.

Hermione went on. “When Harry had found it, he knew something about it wasn’t right. The box wouldn’t open for some reason, and it had a peculiar feeling around it, shall we say, ‘in its aura.’ Harry told me about the incident a few days later, and I came over to have a look at the box. When I saw it, I was quite floored.”

She stopped pacing and began to lean on the front of her desk, little ways away from where Lucius was sat. She was biting her fingernails as she was so immersed in the story.

“The week before, I was at the Weasley’s burrow. I was helping Ginny grab some old baby items out of the attic for the new baby she had just found out about. She found a box quite similar to the one found at both the Lestranges, and the Blacks. I had taken a sort of fascination with it and began researching the box. Although, the family crest was not that of the Weasley family, but of the Prewett family. As I’m sure you know, Molly’s surname is Prewett, so I decided to ask her about it. She told me that she didn’t know what it was, just that she had found it where her two brothers, Fabian and Gideon, had lived. As you know, they were killed during the first war by five death eaters, including Antonin Dolohov. Effectively causing the Prewett name to die out. Same as the Black family, and now the Lestrange family. Lucius,” she turned to look at him. “Are you seeing the correlation between all of these families?”

Lucius looked at Hermione and seemed to size her up, debating whether she was worthy of knowing his answers to these questions she had posed to him.

“You have uncovered something quite confidential Miss Granger. This is not something known to the public, but of course, I’m sure your brilliant mind has already figured it all out,” he slightly sneered.

She smiled at him. “You are right. But, I decided I should consult with you, as I know you will have no other option than to tell me what I would like to know. Word travels fast around here, Lucius.”

He looked sharply at Hermione as she spoke these threatening words. “What a Slytherin thing to do, Hermione. You really are the insufferable know-it-all that you have been labeled as.”

“Humor me, Lucius,” Hermione replied, raising her brow. Another attribute that she seemed to pick up from Professor Snape.

Lucius leveled a glare at the witch, his teeth grinding together, and growled at her.

“With pleasure.”


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione sat back in her seat, hands clasped together and resting on the top of her desk, as she waited for Lucius to speak. She was eager to know what he had to say.

Finally, he collected himself and opened his mouth to begin. “Well, as you’ve so brilliantly pointed out, I do know the nature of these boxes that you have spoken of. You have already translated the meaning of _Sacrae Familiae_ , meaning ‘Family of the Sacred’ in Latin. This refers to the Sacred 28. The _original_ Pureblood families.”

He seemed to fight over whether he should tell her more, or decide to risk his reputation and leave. He knew he couldn’t do the latter, so he continued speaking, reluctantly.

“Each family of the 28 were given a box when their bloodline was established. The box was given to the patriarch of the family, or the head of the house. It was then passed down to each son throughout generations. Take, for instance, the Black family. Arcturus Black was given the box from his father, then passed the object to his son Orion, who then passed the box down to his beloved son, Regulus. My father passed the Malfoy box down to me, and I will pass it on to Draco. You understand the pattern here, right?”

Hermione nodded her head and rolled her eyes at him. Naturally, she understood the pattern; she wasn’t called “The Brightest Witch of Her Age” for nothing. And, as he pointed out a few minutes ago, she was still a know-it-all.

“Well, these boxes are given to each family as a sort of ‘second chance,’ you could say. Inside the box, lies the ability to bring back a male member of the family. Yes,” he stopped her before she retorted with an immediate question, “back from death. To carry on the family name, rather than letting it die out. The issue with the box is that it cannot just be opened by someone of the same blood, as you would think. It can only be opened by someone who has enough magical power to handle the task of, essentially, bringing back the dead. It can only be opened for a family whose male side has _truly_ died out.” Hermione nodded her head.

“It has been rumored to have only been done once before. It was many centuries ago, by the Travers family. Not much is known about the opening, though. It was said that a witch was the one to open it, much to my surprise. Surely, I thought it would be an immensely talented wizard, but it appears I was wrong.” Hermione rolled her eyes at his clear display of sexism.

She would have to fight with him over this topic, but on a different day though. First, she needs to figure out how these boxes work.

Lucius continued speaking, “The witch gave a drop of blood to the family box, and it recognized her as an equal. She was powerful enough to bring back the patriarch of the Travers’ family. I assume that the more powerful the witch or wizard, the more wizards they can bring back. You see, when a wizard is brought back, they form a bond with the one whose powers assisted in bringing them back. A rule that is formed by the bond is that the person cannot be harmed by the wizard. But, no one knows what bond is truly formed. My guess is a soul bond. The witch who opened the Travers’ box fell in love with the wizard and ended up bearing the next heir of the family. But, that is all that I know.” Hermione frowned at the lack of more information.

Lucius saw this and looked at her with a severe face. “These boxes are not something to be taken lightly, Miss Granger. If what they said is true, then there is someone out there who holds enough power to raise the dead. To give extinct families a second chance to carry on their legacy.” Hermione had enough sense to look somewhat chastised.

This pleased Lucius, and he continued, “I will give you a little bit of advice, Hermione. You should take these boxes, and lock them away where they cannot be touched. They should be forgotten about. Of course, the rest of the Sacred 28 will continue the tradition of passing down their family’s box, but who can truly know if it can be done. That is, opening the box and bringing someone back.” He shrugged and sat back in his chair signaling that he was done speaking.

Hermione looked at Lucius, biting her lip in contemplation. She knew more than she had led on but didn’t want to tell Malfoy every single thing she knew. Although, he did just give her a great deal of information that helped to confirm her theories.

“Mr. Malfoy, the thing is... These three boxes are not the only ones that I am in possession of.” She sighed as she saw his eyes flash.

“Pray tell, Miss Granger, whose artifacts have you found?” He spoke this sentence to her slowly and bit out each word.

“To be honest? I’ve also found Dolohov’s, and Rosier’s.” Hermione said.

Lucius winced slightly. This was not how he planned his day to go. Learning that there was a chance of multiple dark wizards coming back from the dead was unsettling. Sure, he was a dark wizard himself, but _those_ wizards were so much more dangerous. Hell, the little chit in front of him was almost cursed dead by Dolohov in the Department of Mysteries.

“Granger, let us be honest here for a second.” He leaned forward.

“I presumed we already were.” She said as she began circling her desk to sit down in her chair. She needed to sit after everything she had just heard.

“Right. Anyway, I would appreciate it if you would tell me your future plans with these artifacts.” Lucius questioned her.

“Honestly Malfoy? I am not sure. Most likely I will heed your advice about hiding them away. I think it will be the safest for everyone.” Lucius nodded, and Hermione let out a large sigh as she continued to speak.

“It has been four years since the war, and I don’t know how much more chaos the wizarding world can handle. I don’t know how much more chaos _I_ can handle, to be honest.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

“Marvelous choice Miss Granger. Now, I think it is time that I take my leave. It has been a most interesting day, and I believe a nice glass of firewhiskey will do some good at the moment.” Lucius stood up and started righting his robes. “Good day, Hermione,” he said as he turned around to begin walking out of the door.

At seeing this action, Hermione stood quickly and ran around to the front of her desk. “Lucius, wait! Listen, um, I really do appreciate you agreeing to meet with me and assist me with this whole thing...”

“Miss Granger, please. I beg you, do not start acting like a Gryffindor now. Besides,” he smirks, “you were _almost_ passing as a good little Slytherin a few minutes ago. I’d hate to see you revert to your Gryffindor ways. It would be such a tragedy. Now, I believe we are finished here.” With that, Lucius Malfoy walked out the door.

Hermione turned around and slumped into her chair. “Merlin, what have I gotten myself into, now?” She muttered to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been three days since Hermione had met with Lucius Malfoy. For three whole days, she had been pondering on what she should do. Almost immediately after Lucius had left her office days before, she had gone straight to Grimmauld Place.

Harry needed to know what she had found out.

She and Harry became quite close after the War. Well, closer than they already were before. She told him everything, same as he.

Hermione had gone back to Hogwarts to finish off her 7th year, and Harry made the difficult decision to go back with her. He was offered many times to go train for the Auror Academy, but Harry had declined.

Everyone was quite shocked by this, but Hermione understood. Harry had spent almost his whole life fighting a dark wizard, while the other half was spent crammed in a cabinet under the stairs at the Dursleys.

Harry Potter was tired of fighting.

So, knowing that Ginny would be returning to Hogwarts too, he made his final decision. He wanted to spend more time with Ginny and begin to plan a future with her. He wanted to talk about the idea of marriage and children. Harry had always wanted a family. He always wanted to have children and watch them grow up; something his own parents couldn’t do.

Two years after the war, Harry found out that Ginny was pregnant with his child. Hermione was so happy for him, and Ginny too. Harry was a great father, and Hermione loved being the aunt to baby James, as well.

Ron had left right after the war to play Quidditch. In the end, Hermione and Ron were just not meant to be together. They realized only a few days after their kiss in the Chamber of Secrets that they both wanted different things.

A part of her knew that she would never really forgive him for leaving her and Harry during the hunt for Horcruxes. She would never have left the way that he did. She felt betrayed.

The worst part was when she realized how easy it was for him to abandon her. Of course, she knew that he was influenced by the locket that he was wearing, but they all had worn it. He was the only one who let it take over.

He was the one who left.

When he had come back, she was so angry. She had tried to forgive him, but it was so hard to try and forget everything that had happened. He didn’t truly love her, and she didn’t think that she truly loved him either. They were great as friends, but anything more than that just wouldn’t work out.

Ron had suggested having a long-distance relationship, but she didn’t want that. She told him that he needed to go and do what he thought would make him happy, and it was not her. She knew that he was tricking himself into believing that she was the one for him.

Hermione theorized that he just liked the _idea_ of being with her; but, once it would actually happen, he would hate it. Besides, she didn’t have a problem being alone - in a relationship sense. Of course, it would be amazing to have someone who could keep up with her and truly love her, but she didn’t need to be with someone to make her happy.

She had Harry, Ginny, James, and the rest of the Weasley family. She had friends from Hogwarts, and she had colleagues. She had so many people who loved her, and for right now, that was enough.

After Hermione graduated from Hogwarts, she was excited to see what this new life could bring her. But first, she needed to deal with her parents.

She had tracked them down in Australia and went to check on them. She was not sure if she was going to undo the obliviate spell that she had cast. When she saw her mother and father, walking hand in hand down the street, she smiled. They had looked so happy. Hermione remembered those smiles; only they were directed at her this time.

What had virtually sealed the deal was when she watched them return to their house. It was a lovely house, quite similar to their home in London. As they opened the door, an elderly lady with a smile was standing on the other side, cradling something in her arms.

They began speaking to each other, and she watched as the woman handed the bundle to her mother. As her mom clutched the blanket, she saw a small hand reach out of the blankets to begin grabbing at her mother’s face. She sat back in shock.

She looked over to her father instead and watched as he dug his hand into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He quickly counted out some money and gave it to the elderly lady. The nanny, Hermione wagered.

Her parents had conceived another child while she was away.

Knowing this information, Hermione knew she couldn’t bring herself to change their lives all over again. Of course, she wanted her parents to remember her, and she would love to have met her little brother or sister. But, there were too many issues with reversing the spell. She could try to reverse it, only for nothing to change, and they still wouldn’t remember her. She could also try to reverse it, and end up wiping all of their memories completely. It was too risky.

So, she left them, but she always kept tabs on them to see how they were doing.

It was a little while later, after she returned from Australia and had boughten herself a flat in Diagon Alley as she was beginning her job, when she found out more information on that tiny bundle; the sibling that she would never get to know.

It was a girl.

Hermione had a little sister.

 

* * *

 

Hermione was now on her way to speak to Harry. She walked over to her fireplace that she had put in so that she could floo home quickly after a long day at work.

She grabbed some powder from the small bag she had tied around the mantle. She threw down the powder as she yelled out, “Number 12 Grimmauld Place!”

She stepped out into Harry’s sitting room, seeing it empty. As she walked in the kitchen, she heard the sounds of little giggles, definitely from James. She would always recognize those delightful laughs.

She opened the door and smiled at the sight of Harry sitting on the edge of his chair, right in front of the highchair that James was sitting in. He sat there holding a piece of banana, making horrendous faces to get his son to open his mouth to eat. James was giggling, which made Harry laugh too.

Hermione walked over to the table and sat in the chair on the other side of the little boy. He had dark brown hair, a mix of Harry's black hair and Ginny’s red hair. But his eyes were just like Harry's, a bright and brilliant green.

Harry had been startled out of his little feeding game when Hermione had sat down by James. He looked at her and smiled.

“Hey ‘Mione, what brings you here? Did you have your meeting with Malfoy?”

James looked over at Hermione and stuck his arms out towards her, opening and closing his small hands; a signal for his auntie Hermione to pick him up and hold him. Harry noticed this, and grabbed James out of his seat, passing him over to Hermione. She took James with a bright smile on her face and gave him kisses all over, making him laugh.

She grinned, turned to look at Harry, and replied, “Yeah I just finished the meeting actually. I’m surprised to say that it didn’t go as terribly as we thought it would.”

Harry’s bushy black brows raised as he heard this. “Really? Hermione, we are talking about the same Malfoy, right? Lucius Malfoy, the huge arse? How could you possibly have had a civil conversation?”

“Oh Harry, he wasn’t that bad. Of course, it wasn’t 100% civil, but when would it ever be? Plus, that’s just how it is between him and me. We just irritate each other through snide comments half of the time we speak. But still, he did give me some information that I was not privy to.”

Harry sighed and lifted his hand, motioning for her to continue speaking. “Well, lay it on me then.”

“Harry, this is serious business here.”

Harry opened his mouth to speak before Hermione held up her hand, telling him to save it.

“Don’t even think of it, Harry James Potter. Don’t you dare make a Sirius joke. I have heard enough of those to last me a lifetime! Please.” She whined at the end.

Harry sighed and lowered his head in defeat. “Okay, okay. I get it. No jokes. Carry on then.”

“Right, so basically to sum it all up for you, theboxesbringwizardsbackfromthedeadandIhavefiveofthemhiddeninmycabinent.” She finished off with a large breath.

Harry sat back and looked at her with wide eyes. “Hold on, hold on. ‘Mione, repeat that to me a little bit slower will you? And for Merlin’s sake woman, breathe!”

She looked sheepishly at him and calmed herself a bit. “Okay, those three boxes I told you about? Harry, there are 28 of them, and each one belongs to a family of the Sacred 28. The boxes are ancient. They are passed down from generation to generation, but only on the male side. So, that box you found in Regulus’ old room was passed down to him from his father, Orion. The cycle goes on and on until the bloodline dies out. The box is essentially designed for this problem. Inside the box, holds the power to bring back any member of the bloodline from the dead, but it can only be a male so that they can carry on the name. It is a second chance at life for them, Harry. The trick of it is, the box can _only_ be opened by a powerful witch or wizard, who the box will need to accept as it’s equal. The person needs to be able to handle the power that is given to them when they open the box and literally rise a person from the dead. They have to provide the box with a drop of their blood, and if they are powerful enough, then the box will open. Lucius said that it has only happened once, that he has heard of. It was a long time ago, with the Travers family. A witch opened the box and brought back the head of the Travers house. They formed a bond, which Lucius thinks is a soul bond, and they fell in love and had a child together which became the next heir to the family.”

Harry sat there with his mouth open, completely baffled by the information he was just given.

“Hermione, this is not good. This is really not good. You’re telling me that these boxes can bring back people from the dead?! This is crazy ‘Mione! I don’t even know what to believe at this point! Wait, back up for a second. I remember you saying something about having five of the boxes in your cabinet. Hermione, why did you say “five”? You’ve only told me about three of them! You have two more?! Oh Godric, Hermione. What are you going to do?! You need to destroy them! No, wait. You can’t, sorry. You can’t even get them open. But, you need to do something, ‘Mione! Which five do you even have?”

Hermione peeked a look at Harry and muttered quietly. “I have the Black, Prewett, Lestrange, Rosier, and Dolohov familial boxes…”

Harry sucked in a sharp breath as she named off the last two. “Oh no, ‘Mione… Oh, this is so bad.”

The kitchen became silent until James grabbed a piece of Hermione’s hair and tugged at as if he was playing tug-of-war. “Oww! James, what did you do that for?! Merlin, Harry. What have you been teaching your son! That hurt…” Hermione trailed off, rubbing her head to try and dull the sudden pain in her scalp.

Harry chuckled and grabbed James from her arms and swung him around in the air. Harry smiled brightly as he gushed to his son, “Brilliant job, James! I reckon that’ll teach her not to hide things from your daddy, won’t it? Auntie ‘Mione is being a bit of a bad witch, now, isn’t she?” He set James down into his high-chair and turned to look at Hermione.

“Harry, listen, I know I should have told you but I didn’t have all of the information yet, and I didn’t want you to worry more than you already were. I see now that it wouldn’t have made much of a difference if I had told you earlier. Considering how you’re acting right now… But, in my defense, I really didn’t think it would be this dangerous, Harry.” Hermione seemed to lose all hope at this moment and slumped over the table, her head hidden in her arms as she lay groaning.

At seeing this, Harry’s eyes softened a little. He decided to give her a little mercy. Quietly, he walked over to her lifeless form and crouched down to the side of her. With one hand rubbing circles on her back, he tried to console his best friend.

“Hermione, listen, we will figure this out okay? Merlin Hermione, we defeated a bloody dark lord for six years of our lives! You’ve always had my back ‘Mione, you know I’ll always have yours too.”

Hermione seemed to calm down as Harry continued to talk to her. Hearing his voice, and his optimism, soothed Hermione significantly. The millions of thoughts that were flying around her head began to settle.

Harry noticed this change in her, and knew that she needed this; she needed his reassurance.

“You’re my best friend, Hermione. Merlin, you’re basically my sister. You’re a brilliant witch, so I know you will be able to do this. We will all support you, Ginny, me, basically all of the Weasleys, hell - even Ron will support you! Once he gets his head out of his freckled arse, I guess.”

Hermione’s body suddenly moved as she began to laugh, sniffling occasionally and wiping her eyes. She looked at Harry and smiled at him. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. She quickly threw her arms around his neck and gave him a long hug.

“Thank you, Harry. You know I love you, right?” She muttered into the shoulder of his shirt.

Harry laughed at this and replied, “Yeah, Hermione, I know. I love you too.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the two out of their healing embrace. Hermione looked up to see Ginny standing in the door of the kitchen, smirking.

“Is there something going on here that I should know about?” The redhead asked. 

“Harry,” Ginny pleaded mockingly dramatic, “please, tell me it’s not true! Tell me you’re not cheating on me with your best friend! Oh, I couldn’t bear the thought!” Ginny clutched at her heart as Hermione and Harry chuckled at the sight of her performance. “Please, my love. My dearest Harry, tell me you still love me!”

Harry stood up and walked over to his wife, setting his hands on her rounded stomach. He smiled at Ginny and began to play along. 

“Of course I still love you. You are my wife, the mother of my only child, and the one bearing my second! It’s not what it looks like, I swear. She threw herself at me, love. I tried to get away, but she wouldn’t let go! Please, I beg you, you must believe me.” 

Hermione looked at both of them, laughing heartily. She spoke between giggles deciding she would play along too, “and, scene! Great work everybody!” She stood up and began clapping. “Good show, it was lovely.”

Harry and Ginny smiled as they clasped hands and took a bow. Ginny attempted, though her tummy ended up stopping her halfway.

Hermione walked over to her and gave her a warm hug. “It’s good to see you, Gin. How are you and the baby doing?” She looked into Ginny’s eyes, making sure to catch if any lies should come out. Ginny had a bad habit of acting better than she really was.

The younger witch looked at Hermione and grabbed both of her hands, smiling. “Really, Hermione. I’m doing good, honestly. I’ve been taking my potions, and I go to see our healer regularly.” 

Hermione saw that Ginny was telling the truth and gleamed at her. “You know Ginny, really are a great mum.” As she said this, Hermione began thinking about her own mother, and how great she was.

She always took such good care of Hermione. She would always make sure that she was fed, and Hermione always knew that she had a safe place to stay; in her old house. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She jerked out of Ginny’s hands and looked at Harry frantically.

“Harry, I’ve got it! Okay, I know we don’t have a permanent solution right now as to where we should keep the boxes. I can’t keep them in the Ministry; it’s too risky. But Harry, what if I took them to my parent’s house?! I could bring them there and keep them safe inside until we figure out another place!” Hermione rushed out her words, as quick as she could.

She continued her ramblings at a quick pace. “After my parents left, I still kept the house. I warded it heavily and placed a Fidelius Charm over it. There are no more Death Eaters, Harry. Well, no more _truly_ dangerous ones at least. But still, it’s the perfect place! No one would even know. The last place anyone would look is in a muggle neighborhood.”

She looked at Harry with so much hope. He couldn’t bear to ruin it now, not after he had just helped her get it back. Plus, it wasn’t a terrible idea. It’s still risky, of course, but it is the best place they’ve got, so far.

Harry sighed and replied back to her enthusiastic words, “It’s not the worst idea. But ‘Mione, are you sure this is what you want to do? This is a rather rash decision…” He trailed off, waiting for Hermione to reply.

“Right now, I think this is our best shot, Harry. I can keep these boxes safe, and the sooner, the better. I’ll just floo over to the old house and check that everything is still in place, especially all of the wards. After that, I’ll quickly go back to my office and get the boxes. Then I’ll go back to the house and start hiding them and placing protective charms and wards on them.”

Hermione needed to get started as soon as possible. She quickly strode over to James who was sitting in his highchair watching everything happen. She bent over and gave him a kiss on his forehead, one on each eyelid, one on the very tip of his button nose, and one on each cheek. Hermione always did this to James, just as her parents did to her.

She turned around and went over to Harry, giving him a tight hug.

Ginny, who stood silently throughout Hermione’s rambles, looked towards both her and Harry. “Uh, is anyone going to explain to me what is going on right now?” She questioned them, confused.

Hermione came over to Ginny next and hugged her. As she turned around to leave the kitchen to floo back home, she shouted over her shoulder. “Sorry Gin, I’ve got to leave! Harry will explain everything to you once I leave. I love you, Potters! I’ll come over and let you both know how everything goes.”

With that, she shut the kitchen door and grabbed a handful of powder, stepped into the fireplace and threw down the floo powder as she recited the address to her flat. 


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione quickly took a small step out of the fireplace in her flat, and grabbed more floo powder, to travel again to her parent’s house. She had placed anti-apparition wards on the house, so she wasn't able to apparate there. But, she had connected her floo in her flat to the one at the house so the only one who could get there would be her. Unless, someone broke into her flat and floo’d to the house. But, there were relatively heavy wards on her flat too, so it was unlikely that anything would happen.

She stumbled out of the floo and onto the floor of the living room that she spent her childhood sitting in. She rested there on her knees and took a deep breath. She hadn’t been there in over three years. The last time she was there, was when she had first set up the extra wards. 

She lifted her head and took a look around. Almost all of the furniture was gone. There was a large reclining chair and two tables. One was a small side table, and the other was settled right in the center of the room, though it sat low to the ground. Dust covered the hardwood floor, and a thin layer also coated the chair and desks.

She pulled out her wand and began casting a series of spells, checking the conditions of the wards. When the results came back positive, indicating that the wards were still in effect, she got up off of her knees and stood to begin searching for a place to keep the boxes.

First, she checked the main level: the living room, the kitchen, the washroom, and the utility room. Hermione didn’t see any place good enough to store them in those areas, so she moved on upstairs towards the bedrooms. 

First, she went to the spare room. The only thing that that was in there was a rusty bed frame. They never really used this room much anyway. 

Next, she walked into the master bedroom; her parent’s room. The bed still stood, stripped of the sheets. A dresser was still there as well, on her father’s side of the room.

She slowly walked towards it, her footsteps echoing in the desolate house. She ran her finger over the top of the dresser, dust piling up at the tip. She moved her hand down to the drawer and started to pull it open. She cringed as the drawer squeaked, the more she pulled at it. As she looked on the inside, she was disappointed. A small part of her wished that there was something left inside, just a tiny part of her old family. 

There was a bathroom in her parent’s room, though that was empty too, and tiles were beginning to fall off of the walls over time.

Finally, she walked across the hall into her old room. The walls were still a light purple color, and she could see the marks of the stickers that she had put on them as a child. The outlines of the stickers were what remained. Her closet was empty, and all she had was a bed frame; just as the spare room had as well.

As she stood in the middle of her room, she was flooded with memories. Memories of her as a child, sitting on the floor, and reading books. She remembered laying in her bed with her mother one night when she had a nightmare. Her mum had come into her room and pulled back the blankets, and laid down next to Hermione. Her mum held her throughout the entire night. 

She remembered the owls that would come to her windowsill, sometimes coming from Harry and Ron, though, most usually came from Ginny. Hermione lost herself in her memories for a short while.

Eventually, Hermione stopped her reminiscing, and she continued her search until she finally had made it down to the basement, the last destination in the house. 

She had briefly thought about hiding the boxes under the floors of her parent’s bed since it still had the mattress, but it seemed too easy. Her only other option was hopefully in the basement. 

Hermione opened the door to the cellar and was immediately swarmed in darkness. Taking out her wand, she whispered a quick Lumos and began walking down the stairs, her wand leading the way. When she got to the bottom, she looked for a light bulb to turn on. Towards the middle of the room she felt a piece of string and pulled on it; efficiently turning on the lights so she could now see. 

In the corner of the room, two cardboard boxes appeared to be empty, except for a few rags and some other small things such as buttons and stray items. It all seemed to be garbage, and Hermione shivered as the concrete ground underneath her feet made the room feel ten times colder.

On the other side of the room, sat a couch with a dusty sheet covering the top of it. Slowly she walked over to the seat and pulled off the cover. The dust flew off as she tugged on the sheet; she could see particles flying around the room, illuminated by the light. The couch was a little torn, although everything else seemed in good condition. 

She thought about cutting a hole in the fabric that was underneath the cushions and hiding the boxes inside there. She could put a locking spell on the door to the basement, and vanish the door from sight, unless someone performed a spell to reverse it. Of course, she could do the same thing for her parents’ bedroom, but it seemed too suspicious; to have a large space of blank wall across from two small bedrooms.

Hermione decided she would make her decision on the way to her office.

With that, she balled up the sheet and placed it on one end of the couch. She shut off the light, cast a Lumos again, and walked up the steps to top. Closing the door behind her, she made her way towards the fireplace to floo to her flat and then to her office to grab the boxes in her cabinet.

As she arrived at her office, Hermione began to feel the anxiety that had been dwelling on the surface; now being brought into the light. Once she would unlock that cabinet and take those boxes to her parent’s house, it was up to **her** to keep them safe.

 _Stop Hermione. You mustn't think about this; it will only make it worse._ She thought to herself. _Just go in there and get the boxes. All you have to do is bring them back to the house and hide them away. There’s an extremely low chance of anyone breaking in and stealing them back. As Lucius said, they need to be forgotten. Just get this task done, and forget about it._

Shaking her head, Hermione went back and forth with her thoughts until she finally made her way into the office and towards the cabinet. She already had the keys in her hands and was turning the key to unlock it. As she swung open the door, she looked at each box with wary eyes.

They were all so alike; the same Latin phrase carved into one side of the box; all on the small side, about the size of a jewelry box. But they were also so different. They were tailored to each family, as each box shown a different family crest compared to the others. Each had a different wood that it was made out of, and also different intricate patterns. But the most prominent similarities that they all had was that they honed the power to rise wizards from the dead.

Hermione was still a bit shocked at this fact.

All of the objects were placed onto a larger sheet, and Hermione wrapped them together. Then, she put them into a cardboard box. There was no reason for her to place them in a chest or anything that extravagant; she was just going to carry the box while flooing to the house. She would much rather carry them personally, rather than levitating them to follow behind her as she went. Especially when she would use the floo; something could happen and who knows where they would end up if they got separated during the travel.

Hermione finished packing the artifacts into the box and turned around to re-lock the cabinet door. As she turned around, she peered at the sight of an empty space where the dangerous boxes had once laid.

After this, it would be over. She could refill that space with something new. Whether it is another fatal object that she had gotten her hands on, or merely papers and files.

 _Will it really be over, though?_ Hermione asked herself.

"Let's just get rid of these bloody boxes already..." She muttered.

 

* * *

Hermione stepped out of the dreary house that had once held so much life. Setting down the box, she turned back to where she came from and decided she would floo call Harry to let him know that everything was going okay.

"Harry? Ginny? Is anyone there?" She called out into the green fire.

"Hermione? How's everything going?" She heard Harry's voice reply.

"Everything is going good so far. I think I've found a place to keep the boxes. I just got back from my office. I just wanted to update you on everything."

"Good, I'm glad you've got everything figured out. By the way, Ginny was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight? She's making a roast for dinner. You'll come, right?" Harry asked her, his question ending with a little bit of hope.

"Yeah, of course, I'll come. Want to connect your floo to the one here? I don't think I can take this back-and-forth traveling anymore, today. I'd rather just come straight there after I finish. Set it up for an hour, and I'll be there. We can cut off the connection once I get there."

"Sure. I'll see you then. Good luck!"

She smiled at his optimistic tone, "Thanks, Harry. Bye."

The call ended, and she turned back around to look around the room.

_Okay, Let's do this._

Hermione picked up the box and clutched it to the front of her body. Her footprints shown through the dust on the floor. The tracks followed her to the basement door as she extended her hand to grab the knob. She began turning it and removed one hand from the box to travel to her back pocket to grab her wand. She uttered a Lumos, and the small light beaming from the tip of the wand began getting larger. Extending her wand arm to widen the surface area of the light, she started walking down the steps.

As she was descending the concrete stairs, she ran through her plan in her head. All she needed to do was cast a Diffindo in the fabric that lined the inside of the couch. Then, she would place the small boxes in and use a mending spell to re-close it.

As she continued her descent, she was shaken out of her thoughts. She felt her foot miss one of the steps and felt her body falling backward. She dropped her wand and reached to grab for the railing, only to remember that there wasn't one. Even as she fell, she kept the boxes clutched as tightly to her body as she could. She found herself shielding the boxes from the edge of the concrete steps; with her own body.

She felt a sharp pain in her head, and then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione woke up to the feeling of someone cradling her body; their hand caressing the side of her face. Next came the sharp pain, originating from the back of her head. She groaned and tried to lift her hand to touch the spot, but her hand would not move. _This must be a dream or something..._ Hermione thought to herself.

She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Her ears finally seemed to begin working, as she heard a voice saying something, though it was too fuzzy to make out. It was like she was miles away from the voice, and she was desperately trying to catch up to it.

"....ione....." she heard the voice say. "....Mione...."

Her name. They were trying to say her name.

She tried to reply but it only came out as another groan. Then she heard a strangely familiar voice, but she couldn't give the voice a name.

"Hermione, are you alright? Hermione, you need to wake up, okay? Please wake up princess..."

 _Princess?_ Hermione thought to herself. _The only person who calls me princess is Sirius. I guess I really am dreaming._

She opened her mouth to reply back, and finally, something came out. "Sirius?....." She waited to hear a response. She could feel the large hand comb a curl away from her face.

"Yes, Princess. Yes, it's me. Can you open your eyes for me?" Hermione attempted to nod her head in response but quickly regretted it as she felt the pain blossom even larger from her head. Slowly she began to blink her eyes open. Everything was blurry, and the only thing she could see was the outline of a face with lanky black hair falling down the sides of it. As she continued to blink away the fuzz, she heard another voice mutter out in anger.

"Glupaya ved'ma. (Stupid witch.)"

_Huh. Russian._

"Bud'te spokoyny, idiot. (Be quiet, idiot.)" Hermione fired back at the low voice. She heard a growl in return and finally opened her eyes to see a face that she hadn't seen in years. Grey eyes met her hazel ones.

"Wow, I haven't had this dream in a while..." She whispered to herself.

The low and grating voice that had insulted her before spoke out again, in English this time. "It's not a dream, Mudblood."

As she heard this, her brows furrowed and she turned them to the person who said this. Her eyes widened for a split second before they turned into a cold glare.

"Antonin Dolohov." she spat.

A menacing smirk split across his face as he stepped closer to where she was laying. "Correct," his accented voice replied back.

She felt her hand grabbing for her wand in her pocket, but the search ended up empty. "My wand. Where is my wand? Sirius, we need to leave." Hermione said as she stared at his face.

 _His face..._ She lifted a hand and reached it towards his cheek. He flinched for a second, but then he burrowed his face into her palm. Everything else zoned out as she looked at his relaxed face.

"I miss you, Padfoot," Hermione whispered to him. His previously closed eyes began to open again, and he looked at her in sadness.

"I'm back now, Princess. I'm not leaving."

Hermione's hand dropped from his face, and she began to frown. "That's what you always say when I'm dreaming."

Sirius shook his head and cradled her closer. "No, Hermione. This isn't a dream anymore. You brought us back, princess. You brought _me_ back."

Hermione looked confused at this, "Us? Who is _us_?"

Suddenly a flash of orange flew past her eyes, as a man with red hair- that looked exactly like the Weasley’s signature hair color- bent over Sirius' back and looked down at Hermione with a bright smile.

"That would be us, beautiful." He motioned his hand to the room and her eyes followed it.

Next to the redhead was another, who looked identical to the first. By her feet stood Dolohov, his arms crossed over his chest and a sly smile adorning his face. Next to him stood another man who had long auburn hair, and a stiff look on his face. He looked familiar, though. She just couldn't remember who. On the side of her stood another figure, who looked quite young compared to the others. He had the same grey eyes as Sirius, and the same black hair, just a shorter length. Sitting behind him was the last person. He had short brown hair, with light blue eyes. He looked to be in his mid-20’s; around the same age as her. He sat on the couch, his legs crossed and his hands clutching each other in his lap. His eyebrows were furrowed together, and he was watching her with an air of confusion. He looked as if he were appraising her.

She brought her eyes back to the man with the orange hair and squinted her eyes at him. She pursed her lips in questioning before her eyes opened in recognition.

"George? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the shop today?" She questioned him.

He looked at her like she was an anomaly. The other man, who Hermione thought was Fred, walked forward and put his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"No, sweetheart. Listen, this gorgeous man here is Gideon, and I'm his brother Fabian, the _slightly_ more gorgeous twin." He smirked.

His brother turned around and threw his hand off his shoulder, "Hey Fab, what the hell man?! We both know I'm more good looking, so give it up!"

Hermione watched the exchange and turned her head back to Sirius. "Sirius, what is going on? Also, did you know there's two of you here?" She asked as she pointed towards the man who looked like he was the younger version of Sirius.

He smiled at her and chuckled for a second before responding. "No Hermione, he's not me. That's my little brother, Regulus."

She quickly turned her head towards the young wizard and gasped.

"Oh Gods, you're Regulus Black? There's no way. You can't be him; he's dead! And so are you, Sirius!" She said as she looked at the young boy- whose face looked at her in shock, wondering how she knew who he was- and then looked to the guy who was claiming he was ‘Fabian’ with accusing eyes. 

"And you, Fred. You're dead too." She pointed her finger towards one of the twins.

Then she nudged her head towards Antonin, "K schast'yu, vy tozhe mertvy, Dolohov. (Thankfully you’re dead as well, Dolohov.)"

This angered him, and he went to lunge at her but was stopped by the man with the long, dark-red hair.

"Antonin, you know we cannot harm her. Besides, why would you let yourself stoop so low as to touch a filthy mudblood?" He asked in contempt. Hermione looked at him and then closed her eyes in distress.

"Oh Merlin, you sound just like Malfoy. I've had enough Lucius Malfoy within these past few weeks. Please, I beg you, no more." Sirius laughed a little at her dramatic display, and her body shook with his laugh.

She winced and reached behind her head, to feel wetness on her fingertips. She brought her hand back to her face and inspected the red liquid: blood. She went to sit up and turned her body around.

Sitting behind her, was a puddle of blood, and the cardboard box sat right in the middle of it. The cover that she had over the boxes had become unwrapped, and all of the boxes were thrown about haphazardly in the blood. Hermione started to realize what this meant and began to panic.

"Oh shite, the boxes. No... No there's blood..." Her eyes opened wide in understanding.

"Oh Godric, I've really done it now. You're all real, aren't you? Fuck, I've opened the familial boxes, haven't I?" She turned her head towards Sirius, and he nodded.

She groaned as he did this, and tried to stand up. Sirius helped her, and she turned around in his arms to throw them around his neck and hug him tightly. His arms wound themselves around her waist, and he hugged her back. She began to shake, as sobs tore through her.

"Sirius you're really back. Oh, Harry will be so excited. You'll get to see baby James; Sirius he's just perfect, absolutely perfect. Merlin, help me. We all missed you so much, Padfoot." She hid her face into his warm neck, and after a minute or so, she pulled back and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to cry like this. You must be Fabian Prewett," Hermione said through sniffles, as she extended her hand towards one of the twins. He looked at her in wonder, and wrapped his large hand around her petite hand, and returned the greeting.

"And you must be Gideon Prewett, then," she smiled at the second man as he shook her hand back, too.

Gideon looked at her with wonder in his eyes, just as his brother had done before. "Yes, hello. Um… How, exactly, did you know which one of us was who?"

She smiled at this question and shrugged her shoulders, as she proceeded to wink at them both.

"Magic," Hermione said.

She walked slowly over to the oldest of the bunch: Antonin Dolohov. They stared at each other, and she raised an eyebrow at him. They seemed to come to a stalemate, and he nodded his head at her. She smirked at him and held out her hand. He reluctantly took it, and he pulled her body close to his.

He bent down to whisper in her ear, as she struggled to move back. "You're the only one who's survived my curse, did you know that, _Myshka_? How intriguing. I wonder if you could live through it a second time. Shall we try it?"

She began to feel her anger rise and she squeezed his hand and hissed into his ear.

"Listen up, Dolohov. We both know that you can't hurt me, as Malfoy number two has clearly pointed out. So, how about we cut a deal? You keep your hands off me, and I won't use one of Snape's little spells on you, hm? Sound good? Oh, and, if you tell anyone that I cried in front of you, there will be no more little Dolohov heirs to be left." Hermione growled at him.

As she said this, he laughed and let go of her. She looked up at him and saw a rare hint of amusement on his face. "Whatever you say, _Myshka._ " He replied.

She scoffed and moved over to the man whose hair was as dark as her blood. He did not hold out his hand, nor did he give her any sort of greeting.

_He wanted to act like an arse? Fine._

She peered up at him, and slowly curtsied, while she laughed quietly to herself. As she looked at his face, she saw him sneering. She smiled and fluttered her eyes dramatically, "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir..." She let the end drag out in questioning.

He replied back towards her with a stiff voice. "Lestrange. Rabastan Lestrange." She felt her stomach drop at the spoken name but refused to let her nerves show.

She tilted her head forward and replied. " _Lord_ Lestrange, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've had the pleasure of meeting your sister-in-law, as I'm sure you are aware. But, never you nor your _dear_ brother. What a day it has been, to meet one of infamous Lestrange brothers. Oh, I would like to apologize in advance for the form in which your manor has been left in; I was just there last week. Well, I'm sure it was a lovely home at _some_ point." She smirked at him with mirth.

His eyes became hard and he did not reply. He simply bowed his head back at her.

_Well played._

Then, she turned towards the wizard who was sitting on the couch. She walked towards him and smiled. "You must be a Rosier then. Do you mind if I ask which one?" She asked him politely. He had been quiet this whole time, and she appreciated the space and silence that he had given her. Seeing him sitting, and not standing and crowding around her, gave her a calming effect.

He looked at her with an expressionless face. All he did was clear his throat before he muttered out, "Evan Rosier."

Hermione searched through her head for any information on him and nodded her head in recognition.

"Ah, Evan Rosier. A pleasure to meet you," she extended her hand for him to shake. She almost explained what she knew about him, but decided that she would not throw his actions back into his face.

_A skilled dualist, who took on Alastor Moody, and at the same time, took off a bit of his the Auror’s nose before Moody defeated him. He was killed during that duel. A death eater who resisted arrest, rather than running away to save his own neck. Brave, for a Slytherin. Quiet. He was in the same circle as Professor Snape._

He took her hand and shook it, his eyes searching hers. They met, and she nodded to him. He nodded back, indicating that he understood that she knew who he was, but was not going to tell anyone what she knew about him.

Finally, Hermione walked over to the youngest of the wizards.

_Regulus Black. Died at the age of 18, after defecting from Voldemort. Gave his life, to save others._

Hermione was always surprised by the bravery that Regulus had shown. Before he had died, he had ordered Kreacher not to tell anyone what had happened. If the Black family were to find out what Regulus had done, the Dark Lord would not hesitate in harming them. He died, trying to save his family. He gave his life for the wizarding world. Hermione admired this greatly.

Slowly, as to not frighten him, she walked closer and closer to him. He was confused, but she ignored it. Then, as she reached the point to where their feet were almost touching, she slid her arms around his neck and hugged him just like she had done to Sirius. He froze when she did this, and his hands seemed to stay glued to his side.

She realized this and whispered something that she hoped would relax him a bit more. "Thank you, **_R.A.B._ ** for the letter. You did it, you know? You helped us kill him. We couldn't have done it without you, Regulus. So, thank you."

Slowly, his body relaxed a bit, and he brought one arm around her back, attempting to return the hug. He lowered his head onto her shoulder, and she brought her hand up into his hair. She ran her fingers through the end of his black curls that laid just at the nape of his neck. He let out a sigh at this, and Hermione smiled. 

Slowly, she brought her other hand down and took hold of his left arm that still lay motionless at his side. She grabbed his forearm and felt as he began to pull away. She loosened the hold and brought her fingers to where she assumed his dark mark had scarred his skin. She rubbed her fingers over the spot and whispered in his ear.

"It's okay."

She brought the arm around her back, right across from his other arm that he had around her. She gave him a slight squeeze and brought her hand back up to his neck.

She heard a voice behind her clear their throat, and the person began to speak.

"Princess, what are you doing?"

As Sirius said this, Hermione could feel Regulus start to pull away from her. She stopped Regulus, by tugging a bit on his hair. He realized that she didn't want him to let go, and stopped moving.

She pulled her head back so that she could look into his eyes. He looked back at her and started to whisper, "Does he know?"

As she heard his low voice, she shook her head.

"No."

He watched her lips move when she spoke, and couldn't find it in himself to look up into her hazel eyes just yet. Hermione noticed where his eyes had strayed, and she moved her eyes towards his lips. She could feel his breath against her face, and she could feel his heart rapidly beating against her chest. Her hand fell down to rest on his heart, and their foreheads slowly touched. She leaned her head against his, and her eyes closed as she felt her body completely relax and slump into his arms. His arms tightened around her, holding her body up against his.

A second later, she was ripped away from his embrace.

"Hermione! Listen to me! What are you doing?! You know what he is right? What the majority of these men are? Hermione, they're Death Eaters!"

She looked at his Regulus' face and frowned at him, her eyes shined with apology.

Sirius turned her around, and both hands grabbed the sides of her face.

"'Mione, he's a Slytherin. They're _all_ Slytherin. Well, besides me, Fabian and Gideon. But Princess, they will use you for their own gains. That's just how Slytherins are."

Hermione had enough of Sirius’ hateful words. Her hands shot up to where his had laid on her face and ripped them off. She took a step backward and put her hands on her hip. Silently, she summoned her wand to her hand. It sailed through the air, and she caught it and pointed it straight at Sirius. Immediately he threw his hands up to protect himself and watched her as she began to raise her voice at him.

"Sirius Orion Black, how dare you say something like that! And to your own brother, no less! Who cares if they are Slytherin? What makes Slytherins so bad, huh?! How are Gryffindor's any better?! I’ll have you know, that I was told that I was becoming quite a Slytherin, myself. Does that make _me_ a bad person?” She raised her eyebrows at him and watched him stare at her in awe.

“You listen here Sirius Black; I did not spend seven years of my life fighting for peace, just for you to act this way. Was my torture for nothing? Was me having to live in the woods for months with two clueless boys, all worth nothing?! I starved for _weeks_ , Sirius. I had to break into Gringotts and ride out on a bloody dragon! I obliviated my parents so that they could be safe. They don't even know that I exist!” She felt her throat clog as she began spilling out all of her anger.

“I watched Dumbledore's body laying on the ground, **dead**. I watched Severus Snape get his throat ripped out by Voldemort’s giant snake, Nagini!" She saw a few people in the room flinch at this.

"His blood was on _my_ hands, Sirius. You would do well to remember that I saved your bloody life! I went back in time, to save you! I watched my friends die, Sirius. For fuck sake, I WATCHED **YOU** DIE! **I** ALMOST DIED, **MULTIPLE TIMES**! I WORE A PIECE OF VOLDEMORT'S SOUL AROUND MY NECK FOR WEEKS SO THAT HE COULD BECOME MORTAL AGAIN AND FINALLY BE DESTROYED FOR GOOD." Hermione was panting at this point, and she had stray tears running down her face. Sirius looked awestruck.

Hermione didn’t mean for so much to come out, but she had been holding it in for so long. Sirius needed to know these things. So did the other wizards. She deflated and finished her rant. "Padfoot, please understand. I fought for peace, and I don't intend to let house rivalries interrupt that peace." With that, she walked forwards, back into Sirius' arms.

She buried her face in his chest, and he rubbed her back as she calmed down. He muttered apologies the whole time, and when she finally settled down, she reached up and kissed his cheek. "I know, Sirius. I'm sorry too."

Suddenly someone cleared their throat, and Hermione looked over to see Rabastan Lestrange with his eyes zoned in on her wand. He flicked his eyes up to hers and opened his mouth to speak.

"Your name, is Hermione Granger, am I correct?"

She nodded at this and suddenly realized that she hadn't told them all what her name was. "Yes, I am Hermione Granger. Otherwise known as, ‘one-third of the golden trio,’ ‘Harry Potter's best friend,’ ‘the _brains_ of the group,’ and my personal favorite: ‘the brightest witch of her age.’ Also, I feel I must tell you some additional information since you have just come back from being gone for so long. It has been five years since Lord Voldemort’s death. The wizarding world is safe, as of right now." Everyone took this in their own way, and then Lestrange spoke again.

"May I ask, why your wand looks so similar to Bella's?"

She looked down at her wand and realized that everyone could see it when it was pointed at Sirius. She looked up at Rabastan with a cold look and replied.

"That's because it _is_ Bellatrix Lestrange's wand." She smiled at the disturbed look on almost all of the men's faces, except Rosier's face and Dolohov's. Oddly, the latter had a smile on his face.

_Interesting._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Myshka= Little Mouse  
> Also, I feel like I want Hermione and Regulus to really connect in this story. That is why I put in that whole scene with them hugging and almost kissing. I really like Regulus, so it will come through a lot when I write. I also have changed the age of Evan Rosier. I tried writing him as an older man, but it just didn't feel right with his personality and certain traits. I kept picturing him as a younger guy probably around 24 or something like that, so if any of you wanted to know why I didn't keep his original age, this is why. Finally, I would like to know how you guys would like this story to go in terms of relationships. As in, should I write this with smut, or no? I'm not gonna lie, I have already written most of it with smut, but if there are a lot of people out there that don't want that, I can try to re-write it and exclude the sex scenes. I also may end up making something that can show you visual things such as outfits or even the boxes and the designs because I like to be able to envision what I am reading. Let me know what you guys think about any of these ideas!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has smut in it.

Hermione remembered that she only had the floo open for a short while, and had assumed it had already been about 45 minutes. The connection would shut off soon and was getting a bit restless just sitting around talking. There were things left to be done and she wanted to focus her attention on those things. _To be honest, I just need to find something productive to do, to take my mind off all of this mess that I have single-handedly just created._

She looked at all of the wizards and began to lay out her plan.

"Shall we continue this conversation elsewhere? I somewhat told Harry that I would come over for dinner with him and his family, so do you think it would be okay to go there? Besides, Sirius, you can see Harry and James, and Gideon and Fabian can meet their niece, Ginny. They're living at Grimmauld place now."

Sirius looked surprised at this and suddenly became excited. A small part of him was glad that his dreary old house was being brought back to life with Harry and his family. That house had seen too much darkness, it was time for some light to finally be restored. The two twins seemed to have their interest piqued too. The prospect of meeting someone that they were related to gave them an immense feeling of happiness.

Hermione looked at the rest of the men who all had displeased faces at the idea of going to the house, and decided she would need to speak with them separately. Sometimes things just didn’t work out for everyone, and she couldn’t leave these four behind.

"Let's go upstairs so I can floo call them, just to give a forewarning. Yeah?" Only the exited pair of three nodded at her proposal, and Hermione let out a sigh.

"You four," she said as she pointed at Regulus, Antonin, Rabastan, and Evan. "Stay down here, okay? I will talk to you guys alone so we can come up with another place for you to go. Believe it or not, I respect all of your feelings, and I can see that you would rather return to the dead, _literally_ , than go to Harry Potter's house. Sirius, Gideon, and Fabian: follow me upstairs and we'll speak with Harry." The men nodded and followed her up the stairs like lost puppies. The thought of Sirius as a teeny, black puppy, stumbling up the concrete steps in front of two identical orange furred puppies, made her laugh a little to herself.  

The four of them made it to the fireplace and Hermione bellowed for Harry and Ginny into the floo. All at once, Ginny's voice permeated throughout the room.

"Hey, Hermione, what's up?"

Hermione decided to get straight to the point. _Dragging this out would only make it worse._ "Ginny get Harry for me. It's urgent okay? I need to tell you both some things. Hurry."

She could overhear Ginny shouting for her husband, and then the sound of him running quickly down the stairs.

"Harry, are you there? I really need to speak with you." Hermione questioned.

Harry suddenly replied, a tad breathless. "Yeah ‘Mione, I’m here. Now, what's wrong? Have you finished everything up?"

Hermione glanced warily at the three men settled next to her and responded with a sigh.

"Harry, I'm going to tell you some things right now, and I need you not to go barmy. Ginny, I need you to make sure that Harry doesn't do anything rash. Both of you, what I am about to tell you must not be repeated until I say so. Okay? Okay.” Hermione couldn’t believe that she was having this conversation right now. _This should be an interesting little chat… Just go quick and be done. You’re Hermione fucking Granger; you can do this._

“So... Long story short, I had a bit of a tumble down the stairs on my way to the basement. I hit my head on the concrete and started bleeding. You see....The trouble is that some of the blood got onto the boxes. Unfortunately, I had passed out from the fall, so I didn’t realize that my blood had even touched the boxes. I only found that out, when I woke up to Sirius Black holding me, trying to get me to come to. Now listen, Harry... Do not freak out. I am not lying to you; I have opened **all five** of the boxes. I am sending three of the wizards over right now. Don't you dare harm them, Harry. You too, Ginny. I know how you both are. You’re impulsive and constantly on guard, but you need to trust me when I say that they are not going to do anything to hurt you. They are your friends, just as much as I am.” Hermione hoped that they would both listen to what she was saying. She would not tolerate these wizards being harmed, and she didn’t quite fancy hexing her best friends.

Finally, she had gotten to the part that she knew Harry would go bonkers over. “Listen, I cannot come over with them. I need to stay with the four other wizards that are currently residing in the basement. These wizards, they cannot harm me, Harry. So, don’t you dare try and come over to ‘protect me.’ I can take care of myself, okay? You may tell the three that I send over what you wish, about the war and everything since. Harry, do not utter a single word about R.A.B., okay? I will settle that out later. Now, I need to go. I love you both, and please, for the love of Merlin, listen to what I have told you. And **_do not piss me off._ ** "

After she had growled out these concluding words, Hermione nodded to herself and quickly looked over to the three wizards, and beckoned for them to go into the floo. Gideon and Fabian went first, and Sirius went last. Before the rugged wizard had moved towards the floo, he called out Hermione's name.

"Hermione, listen. I will see you soon alright? I'm not going to leave you; none of us are. I know you don’t want to hear this, but, please be careful, Princess."

Sirius sauntered up to Hermione and grabbed her face with both hands. He had a smirk on his face, though a smidge of anxiety showed as well.

"Also, I apologize in advance for what I am about to do."

As soon as he said that, he guided his face down towards her own. Quickly, he gave her a meager peck on her lips and moved to walk away. Before he could go, Hermione seized his hand. "Sirius, we will need to talk about this later, you know that right?" He nodded gingerly at her and then she did something unexpected.

Hermione had clutched Sirius by the neck of his worn out leather jacket and tugged him down to her. Gently, she raised up onto her toes and laid her forehead against his, just like she did with Regulus. This time though, she angled her head slightly and moved gradually, settling her lips over his. Hermione wanted there to be anticipation, so she pulled back a little bit and looked him in the eyes. She caressed his face and drifted forward one last time. Sirius responded in full, and as soon as their lips touched, it was like a switch had been flipped as he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist. His hand reached up to card his fingers through her curly hair. His tongue fought with hers until she finally gave in and let him take control.

His hands felt like fire on her skin. The fingers that he had on her waist were tightening so intensely; she expected them to leave marks. He devoured her like a starving man, and she couldn’t help but to respond back just as roughly.

He pushed her up against the wall next to the floo, and gripped one of her legs, tugging it up to sling it around his waist. She tightened her leg around him and sighed as her core rolled against his. Sirius broke the kiss after she did this, and began to trail his lips down her neck. He was breathing heavily as he did this, and she could feel his hot breath blowing against her sensitive skin. Her body shook with a shiver. Then he dragged his kisses back up towards her ear that was hidden behind her tousled hair. He lightly tugged on her earlobe with his teeth, as he began to whisper to her.

"Gods, I want you so bad, Princess."

She moaned at his words and rubbed her core against the hardening bulge that was forming in his pants. Sirius sneered as he felt her body responding to his.

"Do you feel that Hermione?" He asked as he pushed his hard-on right onto her clothed heat.  

"Sirius..." Hermione whined his name into his shoulder, and he panted as he heard his name falling from her delicate mouth. He reveled at the sound. He could feel her fingers grip onto his wavy hair everytime he would grind his body against hers.

"Can you feel how hard you make me, Princess? I can feel your body moving against mine. You want me too, don't you?"

Hermione panted at this and nodded her head enthusiastically. Her hair was reverting back to its frizzy state that it had once been when she was still at Hogwarts. The heat that she and Sirius shared between their bodies was rolling off in waves.

"Yes, I want you, Sirius...Please…Fuck, please don't stop." She was still grinding against his heat, as he thrust against her. He was breathing fiercely as he purred into her ear.

"I could take you right here, against this wall. You'd like it, wouldn't you, Princess? It would be so easy, you know. All I'd have to do is push aside your knickers, and I bet you'd already be wet and ready for me. Fuck, Princess… Are you wet right now, baby? I bet you’re dripping, aren’t you? I'd fuck you so hard. I’ve wanted you ever since you woke up in my arms… And when you went and hugged Reggie... I could tell that a little part of him wanted you just as much as I did. Did you want him, too? Would you have let him touch you like I am right now?"

Sirius moaned as the head of his restrained cock thrusted right up against her through the layers of fabric that separated them. His eyes clenched shut, and all he could hear were the sounds that Hermione was making from feeling his body rub so roughly against hers. She was a moaning mess against him, and he groaned at the control that he had over her pliant body. She nipped softly at the juncture between his neck and shoulder, and Sirius couldn't take it much longer. He wanted to strip her of her bulky robes and shag her right against the wall. But he couldn’t. He knew that this would have to be enough, for now.

He grasped Hermione's arse in both of his hands and squeezed roughly. She bucked hard against him, and he had to press her even more firmly against the wall, so that she wouldn't collapse onto the floor in her pleasure induced daze. She was hanging onto him by his neck, and the feeling of her full and supple body was addicting. He could feel himself twitch in his trousers and he knew he was about to cum.

Hermione wasn’t far behind him.

Just before Sirius had lost it all, he raised his face, prodding hers out of his shoulder. They looked fixedly at each other and Sirius couldn't turn away from the vision in front of him. Hermione’s cheeks were flushed red, and her lips were swollen from the snogging that they had done before. He watched intensely as her full chest brushed against his with each hasty breath that she exerted. Her mouth was agape, and she had unwrapped her arms from around his neck and pressed her hands against the sides of his face. He stared intensely into her hazel eyes as he huffed out his next question.

"Did you want us both, Princess?"

He watched her eyes widen before they were tightly clenched shut as she squeaked out, "Yes! Yes... I wanted both of you! Sirius, I'm so close... Please."

Sirius couldn't take it any longer. They both locked eyes again, as his hips stuttered and he thrust hard one last time before her mouth opened even wider, and she bit down hard on his shoulder. He groaned deeply into her ear and felt his cock pulsing in his pants.

 _Shite…._ Sirius began thinking to himself. _What has this witch done to me?! I just came in pants like a bloody 5th year…_

They were panting against each other as he let go of her leg that was wrapped around his hip. Sirius looked embarrassed, and he wouldn’t make eye contact with her. Hermione tugged his hair to get him to look up at her and kissed him when he finally did. He sighed into the kiss and pulled back. Sheepishly, he looked at her and gestured towards his pants.

"Could you help me out here, Princess?" He winked at her when he saw her let out a huff and blushed. This made Sirius laugh, and he kissed her again in thanks after she cast a Scgourify on both him and her.

Sirius turned around before he had stepped into the floo. "I'll see you soon, right?" He asked her as he grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Yeah, Pads. I'll see you soon." She smiled and bit her bottom lip as she watched him disappear through the green flames, with a dopey grin on his face.

Sirius exited the floo into Grimmauld Place, still holding the ridiculous smile on his face. He couldn’t believe that he was here, alive, and had just shared that intimate moment with Hermione.

Before he had experienced he had died, he was more than aware that there was something special about the little witch. Of course, she was so young at the time, that he didn’t fantasize about her sexually. But, he knew that she was so incredibly intelligent. She was kind but fierce. She was courageous.

And, not to mention, she was fiercely loyal to his godson. She was always there for Harry, and she even saved Sirius himself with her brilliant mind. She was powerful, and that was enticing.

Sirius knew that other people did not consider him the type of wizard to settle down, get married, and have a family; but, he _did_ want those things. Not as early as Lily and James had, but later on down the timeline. That time was now, he supposed. He was older now, and he was being given a second chance. Sirius began to picture himself with Hermione; as husband and wife, with children for the both of them to care for, together. He knew he was getting ahead of himself already, but he couldn’t shake the idea.

She was… _Special._ Hermione Granger was special.

 

* * *

 

After Hermione was sure that the four wizards in the basement wouldn't be able to tell what had just happened upstairs between her and Sirius, she opened the door as she began to carefully walk down. She watched as Rabastan and Dolohov were speaking to each other, while Regulus and Evan sat quietly. As she came down the stairs, they all looked towards her.

Rabastan had an unreadable expression on. Dolohov was stuck between a sneer and a smirk. Regulus looked nervous; his hands clenching multiple times. Evan just seemed curious.

She walked over so that she was sat between Evan and Regulus. This was her safest bet. She didn’t think anything amiss would happen, especially if she was sat between these two.

Part of the reason was also that she felt a need to be closer to the youngest wizard. There was something about Regulus that she felt drawn to. She didn’t know if it was because she knew what he had done during the first war, or if she just felt like he needed some extra attention.

She quickly took the younger's hand and held it between both of hers. He seemed reluctant to let her continue, but ultimately gave up the mental fight, and let her comfort him. She looked at Evan and gave him a nod, and he slightly returned it. Finally, she looked at Rabastan and Antonin as they ceased conversation with each other. She took this as her cue to start.

"I know you all would rather be doing something else, but I’m thankful that you have not tried to cause any trouble by leaving or fighting. So, I’m sure you all can tell, but I don't quite know how to handle this situation, yet. I do not have a place large enough for all of you to stay. Even here, there are only three rooms. I own a small flat, which could hold two people at most.”

She bit her lip as she debated whether she should say what she was thinking or not. She sighed and gave in. “I am reluctant to let you all leave on your own and for all of us to separate. I don't know how other people will take the news, and I don't want anyone to get hurt." Hermione trailed off as she thought of what to say next.

She was rubbing the top of Regulus' hand with her thumb, as she spoke again. "First, I would like if any of you could tell me what you know about these boxes. Lucius said it had happened once, and he said that the witch and wizard developed a bond with each other. His assumption was a soul bond. I don't know what any sort of bond would feel like or look like, so I was hoping any of you could give me some more information about this whole thing in general." The four men looked at her and seemed to be mentally debating on what they should do.

Finally, Rabastan spoke up. "What Lucius told you, is true. All of us share a soul bond with you. Meaning, we are technically married, you could say. We cannot be with other women, except you. If it were to happen, the bond would hurt each person who holds the bond. For example, if the eldest Black decided to go off on one of his escapades with another witch, both you and him would feel pain. Unfortunately, the bond must be consummated within two weeks. Why that preposterous time range was picked, who knows. When the consummation ‘rituals’ have finished, there will be some… ‘New’ things that will happen. You will be able to feel the other’s magic and emotions. But, if the bond is not consummated, it will begin to break, and it will essentially kill all of us, including you."

Hermione nodded in shock at his blunt explanation, and looked at all of them in the eye, before asking a question she never thought she would ask.

"Are you all willing to do it? To have sex, with me."

She felt Regulus squeeze her hand as she asked this, and she pressed him back in assurance.

Evan seemed to nod his head slowly, and reluctantly. Then, he muttered out a quiet confirmation. "Yes." She nodded at him and smiled in thanks.

She looked at Regulus who blushed a little and stuttered out, "Y-yes."

Dolohov laughed at this and Hermione’s eyes flashed in irritation. "Of course you would, little Black. Your display earlier clearly showed all of us your feelings towards the mudblood."

Regulus stiffened next to her, and her anger began to spike. _Why does it always seem to do that when I am dealing with him, specifically? Why does he have to be such a pain in the arse?_  

Rabastan chuckled along with Dolohov, and Hermione raised her brow at both of them.

Rabastan saw this and glared at her. "You think you are worthy of the privilege of sleeping with a pureblood? With someone from ‘The Sacred 28?’ You are nothing but a mudblood. You are not of any significance, and you certainly aren't pureblood material." He scoffed at her.

She sneered at him and responded. "I never claimed to be. You think I have any more choice in this matter than you do? You think, that even though I am powerful enough to open not only one, but FIVE boxes, that I am beneath you? I am aware that nothing I do will ever make me good enough. You and your pureblood friends have let me know this from the moment I entered the wizarding world. Do you take me for a fool?"

Hermione quickly muttered under her breath to Regulus, "Forgive me for this." Deftly, she let go of his hand and stood up with determination.

Her eyes were cold when they shot towards Rabastan, and her voice was condescending, as she smirked at him. "I helped kill your _precious_ Dark Lord, Rabastan. I broke into your very _own_ vault at Gringotts, and stole the Horcrux hidden inside. _I_ am the one who did it. I disguised myself as your _darling_ 'Bella' and broke into your vault. I took the Horcrux, and burst out of the bank on the back of the very dragon who protected it."

Rabastan's eyes turned fiery as she revealed to him what she had done. Still, keeping the smirk prominent on her face, she moved on to Dolohov next.

"Antonin, I survived your curse. Remember that? A little school girl was able to survive a curse that you crafted with your _very own hands_ , which I must admit was impressive." He smirked at the compliment, but then she turned it right back on him.

"Tell me, _Dorogoy_ , how many purebloods have you used the very same spell on? How many followers did your almighty Lord order for you to kill? I bet you wouldn’t hesitate for a second to do it, would you? I watched your comrades die, you fools. I killed some **myself**." Hermione spat this to both men. She noticed Antonin's breath start to pick up.

_Fascinating... Let's see if we can get him to breathe a little harder, shall we?_

She continued her speech, almost sounding as deranged as Bellatrix. "Have you seen the scar left from your curse, Antonin? It is the largest one on my whole body, and it was given to me by none other than _you_. I bear your mark, Antonin Dolohov. I am the only one who is still breathing that bears it. Does that make you feel powerful? That someone lived? That **I** , lived? If I were not here, would you still feel powerful, Antonin? No one can make you feel like this, can they?"

She saw his breath hitch, and decided she would prove her point right here and now. His left hand was clutching the armrest, and she walked over to it and ran her fingers over his tense hand.

"Antonin, remember when you followed me into that cafe, and we dueled? And I hit you with a Petrificus Totalus? You and Rowle laid there on the ground, unconscious, as I leaned over your body and obliviated you. Did you know this? I, the filthy mudblood, was able to erase _your_ memory. And it worked, didn't it? You don't remember a thing, do you?" She said this is a low voice.

Her fingers ran farther over his hand and trailed up his forearm. She outlined the dark mark that lay faded against his tanned skin with the tips of her fingers. Her other hand went to rest against his face, as she leaned forward, over his rigid body. Then, she straddled his lap, with one knee laying on each side of him. He was sitting so close to Rabastan, that almost half of her leg was resting against the other wizard’s leg, too. 

She snatched Dolohov's hand and placed it at the bottom of her shirt that had lain underneath her robes. Slowly, she drew his hand inside the fabric and dragged his fingers along the slightly raised scar, which went from her right hip, all the way to the diagonal collarbone. She watched his eyes flash as his fingers caught on the middle of her bra. She smirked and continued to guide his hand, not letting him linger where he obviously wanted to stay.

She leaned her head forward so that their noses barely touched, and her one hand scratched against the stubble that was on his right cheek. "This is _yours_ , Antonin. _You_ did this." She breathed out, as she trailed his hand back down the scar, settling it on her bare hip. She pressed herself down onto his lap, and she could feel the outline of his dick that was trapped against his trousers. Hermione wiggled around on him, rubbing her arse against him in torturously slow circles. Then she finally spoke.

"Antonin, what about that time at the Department of Mysteries? Do you remember me struggling to get away from you once you finally caught me, my back against the front of your chest? Do you remember when you grabbed me by my hair and bared my neck, with your wand pressing up against it?"

She watched as his eyes fluttered for a second, and his breath came out in pants that sounded ten times as loud, throughout the silent room. The hand that was on her hip had been clutching her tightly, controlling her hips as they rolled back and forth over his erection. She took his other hand and brought it up to her hair, signaling for him to grip it tight and pull it, as he had once done in the Department of Mysteries. 

Playing along, he yanked her hair, efficiently baring her neck towards his face. She let out a small whimper as he did this, and it worked like a charm. Antonin let out a growl and buried his face into her neck. She could feel his nose as he breathed in her scent.

"Tell me, how did it feel, Antonin? To have me at your mercy? Did I make you feel powerful?" 

He growled again and began licking her neck, sucking in some places while biting hard in others. She had one hand in his hair; her eyes clenched shut as he began to kiss her lower.

She opened her eyes and looked at Rabastan, who was sitting right next to the scene as if he had a front-row spot to a film. Her eyes burned into his and she grabbed one of his hands with her free one and brought his fingers to her mouth. Slowly she licked each finger and stared deep into his eyes as she did it. He looked almost as affected as Antonin was.

Dolohov was currently trailing his kisses as low as he could get them, even lifting her up so he could lick over her scar, entirely. Hermione quickly turned her head back towards Antonin and whispered into his ear. " _Podnimite yego, Antonin._ (Lift it up, Antonin)"

Deftly, he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and lifted it as far as he could get, baring her black satin bra to his face. Now, he could see the whole scar completely. He looked at it hungrily and went back to kissing it.

Then she turned to look back at Rabastan and saw his eyes darken even more than before, and his breathing became shallow. Not once taking her eyes off of him, she lifted her own hand to her mouth, and licked it thoroughly, covering the hand in her own saliva. Then, she moved her hand towards Rabastan and whispered for him to take it. Finally, he took her hand, and she looked at him with a desperate look.

"Show me how to touch you, _Lord_ Lestrange. Please."

His eyes flashed again, and his grip on her hand tightened. She knew calling him 'Lord' would break him from his stubbornness.

Just like Malfoy.

Rabastan unbuttoned his trousers frantically and guided her hand inside. Her eyes closed as her hand was gripped around his hard cock; feeling his burning skin that was as soft as velvet. He guided her hand up to the tip of his cock and dipped one of her small fingers into the wetness that was seeping out of the head. He then brought her finger to her mouth and commanded her to lick it off.

"Does it taste good, little girl?" He asked her in a hard voice.

Hermione smirked and looked right into her eyes as she replied. "Perfect, my Lord."

He groaned and brought her hand back to wrap her fingers around his heat.

She yelped and tightened her grip on Rabastan, even more, when Antonin had pulled down the cup to her bra and bit at the hardened tips of her nipples. She moaned as she watched him continue to feast on her breasts. She turned her head and watched Rabastan fight to keep his eyes open, but he let his head fall back and his eyes shut as he finally gave in to the pleasure.

She gasped as she felt her knickers being removed, and felt her hot flesh against his. She hadn't even noticed that Dolohov had unbuckled his trousers and had slipped out his cock. Now, he had her hot pussy sliding over his erection. He hissed when her pussy had parted to bury the head of his dick in between her warm folds. She groaned and began to rub back and forth on his cock. _End it, Hermione. Finish this._

"Do you want me, Antonin?" Hermione whispered to him.

"Fuck, you know I want you, _Myshka._ " He snarled at her.

She quickly turned her head to Rabastan and started speeding up her hand movements, tightening her fist as she circled around the head of his dick.

"Do you want me Rabastan?" She whispered even more desperately to him. He clenched his jaw and nodded his head as his hips thrust into her hand.

"Yes. Yes, I want you.”

Finally hearing both of their affirmations, Hermione smirked and tipped her head back, as she let out a giggle. She stopped all movements and stood up from Antonin's lap. She tugged up her knickers, and fixed her clothes back to their original state on her body. It all happened so fast, neither of the men knew what to do.

"Think about that, the next time you both decide that I am worthless." Hermione snarked at them. She grabbed each of their hands and placed a wet kiss in the middle of each palm. Then, she winked at them both. "There, for tonight. When you finish yourself off, you can pretend it was me. Maybe, if you both change your piss poor attitudes, it _will_ be me next time."

With that, she walked over to sit again in between Regulus and Evan. Regulus refused to make eye contact with her, and as she went to grab his hand, he clenched it and moved it away from her.

Evan, on the other side, looked at her with heated eyes and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Next time you pull something like that, kitten, give me a fair warning. Also, you might want to consider freshening yourself up a bit, yes?" He pulled back, smirking at the blush that had taken over her face.

Meanwhile, Rabastan and Antonin were steaming with anger. They would get her back for that, no question about it. Only that thought, had kept them from stalking over to her and teasing her right back.

"So, anyway, back to the important things,” Hermione said as she awkwardly cleared her throat. “I think we should all live together in a house. I thought we could stay at Evan's manor, if that would be okay?” She looked towards him and saw the momentary shock on his face. He didn’t really think that she thought much about him.

He nodded at her, "Yes, that is fine. Of course, I have not been there in a long time. I do not know what the conditions are like." Hermione nodded at this and then reassured him.

"When I had last gone there, I had met several house elves who were keeping the manor clean and in excellent shape. They seemed very devoted to your family, so I assumed they were well taken care of. Regulus, if you want, we can have Kreacher come there too. He doesn't do much for Harry anyways. All he does is talk about his beloved 'Master Regulus.'" She gave him a little smile as she saw him whip his head toward her.

"Kreacher is still alive?!" He practically jumped off of the couch just waiting for her answer.

"Yes, of course, he is still there. You took good care of him. I tried to take care of him as well, but he, uh... He doesn't really speak to me. You know, the whole mudblood thing..." She gave him a small smile, trying not to convey just how hurt she actually was by the old house elf's treatment of her. "Your mother's portrait is still there if you would like to visit. Your room isn't there anymore, though. Your belongings have been saved and are in the attic, along with your mother's portrait."

Regulus seemed a little sad at finding out that his room was gone, but he was previously dead, so he couldn’t expect everything to be the same. His brows furrowed as he made sense of what she had told him. "Uh, why is her portrait in the attic?"

Hermione scowled at this question and hesitated to answer. "Well, all she ever really did was scream at Harry and Ginny. She called Harry a ‘no-good Half-blood,’ and called Ginny a ‘blood traitor.’ Among other things..." He seemed to understand that she was talking about the things his mother had said to Hermione, and he nodded. The witch smiled at seeing him agree with her.

"Alright, this is good. So, Evan, do you want us to go to your manor now? We could stop at Harry's to steal some supper and also get Sirius and the twins if you’re all up for it? Regulus can speak to his mother and grab some things of his. Rabastan, Antonin, we can go to your manors if you would like, once we get to Evan’s manor? I don't know how much of your things are still there, but I will apparate along with both of you if you wish."

Rabastan glared at her and replied back, "Must you come with us? Besides, I would rather not walk into the home of my ancestors, with a mudblood on my arm." He rumbled at her. Hermione felt her stomach drop at his comment. She flinched slightly before she smiled weakly back at him.

"Of course, you are right. You can both floo to your manors from Evan's." They both nodded at her, and she felt her body deflate. "Okay, so, shall we go to Grimmauld place, then? I can have Harry reconnect the floo for us. We can't apparate from here, I apologize." She said, as she stood up and vanished the puddle of blood that was beginning to dry onto the floor. Her wound on the back of her head had healed somehow, so there was no need to go to the healers. _I’ll need to research that…_ She made sure the boxes were still in the large box and decided that she would still hide them, just to be safe. She looked at the four wizards and motioned with her wand for the door to open. "You can all go ahead of me. I need to finish what I came here to start."

Looking at her oddly, all four men slowly began to file up the stairs and out the door. As the last person left, she motioned for the door to close and lock. Quickly, she took off a cushion from the couch and cast a severing spell in the fabric. She then took the box and laid it inside the couch.

It was a perfect fit.

She cast a Reparo and proceeded to put the cushion back on the couch, and she draped the old sheet back over the top. Then, she shut off the light and walked back up the stairs. As she shut the door, she cast a locking spell on it and began toward the door as well.

Finally, the door had vanished from sight.

_Perfect._

She walked around the corner and saw the four men standing awkwardly in different locations around the living room. Crouching by the floo, she called out to Harry.

"Hermione? Oh Merlin, Hermione, it's really Sirius. You brought him back 'Mione... He's actually back; I still can't believe it. Hermione you can't keep doing things like this. Gods, I can’t even begin to thank y-" Hermione's head dropped as he listened to Harry's rambling. She grabbed her head with both hands and sniffed for a second as the gravity of the situation had hit her. Then she sighed and stopped him short.

"Harry! I understand, okay? Can you connect the floos? We are coming over. But before we do that, I need you to listen to what I am going to say. You are not allowed to touch a single hair on their heads, do you hear me? They will not harm you, so if I see either you or Ginny try and cast any silent hexes, I will personally make sure that your child count stops at two. Do you understand me, Harry James Potter? This is not a joke. Do. Not. Test. Me." Her words were cold, and she seemed to be deadly serious, which surprised the wizards who were standing behind her. She was protecting them, and they didn't understand why.

Harry didn't reply to her, and she assumed that he had heard what she said and connected the floos. She stood up and turned around to the wizards. She looked at Regulus and motioned for him to go first. He slowly grabbed a handful of powder and was engulfed in the green flames. Evan went next, then Rabastan and Antonin went last.  

Hermione stood alone in her old living room and closed her eyes. She had just brought back seven wizards from the dead. She felt her resolve crack a bit, but she shook her head. _Don’t do this now, Hermione. You can’t give in, yet._ With these thoughts, Hermione grabbed some powder, and was bathed in emerald flames once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had been debating on whether I should leave both smut scenes in one chapter together, or if I should split it into two chapters. I decided to leave it all in one chapter because I would rather have the sexy vibe, though sub-par, continue on throughout this chapter, instead of breaking it up. I don't know, it's hard to explain. Please go easy on me with the smut, I've never written it before and it was quite challenging for me to write. I've been nervous about posting this, that is why it has taken me so long to update. Also, Dogoroy= Darling in Russian. That's all!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has a little bit of Dumbledore bashing, and there is also a small bit of violence, if you want to call it that?

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace at the Potter residence and ran right into someone’s back. She looked up and saw the slim form of Evan and quickly began to apologize. "Shite… Sorry, Evan. I didn't mean to; I just got distracted for a second. It won't happen again."

She didn't wait for his response, just stepped around him and walked past the other wizards who had come with her.

She walked toward the kitchen as she heard explosive laughter burst from inside. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. She turned around and gazed at the men behind her.

"They will want to see you all. I'm so sorry. I will make it quick, okay? I will grab food, hand it off to you all after they see you with their own eyes, and then you can leave. I will stay with Regulus and hopefully explain a little bit right now, and then leave too. Is this okay?" The three wizards, besides Regulus, nodded thankfully. She nodded back and gathered herself before she pushed open the door.

As soon as she walked into the room, all sound had ceased. The only thing that could be heard was a loud slap - the raw sound of flesh meeting flesh - making the wizards in the living room flinch. Then, a young woman's voice began to shriek in anger.

"Why didn't you tell me, Hermione?! You should have told me this was happening from the beginning! Do you realize how dangerous this is?! You didn't even tell me that the boxes to _my_ uncle's family could be opened! I had to find out from Harry and these three, what had happened!” Ginny motioned her hands towards the three wizards who sat silently.

“Use your head, Hermione! You're supposed to be the smart one! You should have known that you couldn't handle doing this all by yourself. Sure, you brought back my uncles and Sirius, but you also brought back **four** Death Eaters, Hermione! They're evil. For fuck sake, you were tortured by the cousin of one of them, and the sister-in-law of the other. You almost died from Dolohov’s curse! And to add on to his numerous offenses, he also killed my bloody uncles! Are you just going to let all of that pass? How can you even live with yourself? You should have let them all stay dea-"

Ginny's sentence was cut off by the sound of another voice yelling: Hermione's.

"Shut up! Just shut up, Ginny! I get it; It's all my fault! Do you think that I don't already know that? Do you think _any_ of us had any choice in this?! It was an accident! How could you say those things about those wizards? So, they deserved to stay dead, while your uncles and Sirius get to stay alive? What makes these three in here, any better than those men out there?!” Hermione yelled. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but it only lasted for a few seconds.  

“We've all killed someone, Ginny. Don't act like you haven't either. You think that just because they were on the ‘bad side,’ it automatically means that they deserve to live any less than we do?! Fucking hell, Ginny, Dumbledore was just as bad as Voldemort was! He allowed for Harry to be sent back to the Dursleys, for _years_. He raised Harry to fight this foolish war for him. Do you really believe that Dumbledore couldn’t have killed Voldemort himself, for that many years? Dumbledore could have finished all of this, but he was too busy worrying about a prophecy that came from that crazy bint, Trelawney! That old man could have saved Harry’s parents. He promised Snape that he would! Both Dumbledore _and_ Voldemort broke promises to Severus. They are one in the same. On top of that, Dumbledore knew for years that Tom Riddle was prone to dark magic. So, what did he decide to do? Ignore it! He **let** Tom Riddle become Voldemort. He made sure that the boy knew that he didn’t trust him. Do you honestly think that Tom Riddle was born to be a dark wizard? He was just a poor boy, whose mother died and left him in a shitty orphanage for eleven years of his life. He had no one, Ginny! Why wasn’t the great Dumbledore there for him? Why didn’t he protect him? Have you ever thought about that, Ginny? Has ANYONE ever thought about that?!”

By this point, Hermione was shouting. Her anger had gotten the best of her, and everything that had been hidden away was suddenly spilling out.

“You think you can stand here and judge me because you lost loved ones, and you're still not able to forgive? That's not my issue, Ginny! You are not the only one who has lost someone! I sat and watched my parents fawn over a newborn baby when I went to go back and reverse the spell. They had a _child_ , while I was gone... They had a little girl. I had to stand there and watch my family smile and laugh, and make the decision to walk away. I had to choose between their happiness and my own. Do you think that I wanted to do that? I lost everything, Ginny! I have nothing left! There is no  _real_ family left for me; they don't even know that I fucking exist!”

Hermione swallowed hard as she spoke about this. Lifting her head with a furious look on her face, she continued her rant.

“I took care of your husband and your brother for years. I even gave them my own food while we were on the run, so that they could eat; because I thought that they needed it more than me! I gave them, **_everything_**. I gave YOU, everything!” Ginny and Harry both flinched as she revealed this.

Harry had no idea that she was giving him and Ron her food. He didn’t know that she felt any of this.

But, Ginny, on the other hand, she knew that Hermione had done a lot for her. Hermione had taken care of her when she was pregnant with James, many times. She made sure that Ginny ate enough food and took the right potions so that both she and the baby would be healthy. After James was born, Hermione practically lived at Grimmauld place. When Ginny and Harry were too tired to take care of the baby, Hermione would be there in a second to do it.

They were both ripped out of their thoughts when Hermione continued speaking, this time with a low - almost deadly - tone to her voice.

“Don't you dare stand here, in a room filled with your own family, and judge the wizards who are standing out there with no family left. They have nothing left, either, Ginny. Just like me. That is why I trust them. I forgave them because they didn't have a choice in this, Ginny. They are all I have now, do you understand that?! I am married to seven fucking wizards! They are stuck with me for the rest of their lives. I am trapping seven men in a marriage that they don't even want! They can't just go back to being normal people anymore, Ginny! They have been marked, and they will always be labeled by that mark. I am the same as them. I am marked just as they are, and I will always be labeled by it. What makes me any different from them? If you can condemn them that easily, then condemn me too, Ginevra Weasley. If they don't deserve to live, then neither do I. Say it, Ginny; tell me that I deserve to die."

Ginny stood there with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing on air, and nothing came out. Hermione glared at her and decided to finish the conversation.

"If you can't say it to me, then I don't want to hear you say it to them, either." Hermione ended in a murderous tone.

The wizards in the living room were standing still in shock.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and watched as Hermione walked out of the room with a fake smile painted across her lips, and a red mark that was already starting to bruise, on her right cheek. Regulus felt his heart drop when he saw this.

She quickly summoned some containers filled with food and gave them to each wizard. After she handed them out, she looked towards Rabastan, Antonin, and Evan. She nodded her head at them and motioned with her hand for them to leave.

"You do not have to stay any longer. Please, go back to the manor with Evan, and you may do what you please from there. Regulus will go to the attic and join you when he feels ready, same with the others. I do not know when I will see you next, but that doesn’t matter. Now please, do not suffer here any longer." The men looked at the witch in front of them in confusion, and slowly turned and left.

Then, Hermione turned to look at Regulus. She smiled kindly at him, "Go ahead, you already know where the attic is, you certainly don't need me to escort you." He looked at her and felt sadness spread through his chest. He nodded and walked away.

Hermione stood there for a few minutes after Regulus had left. _Maybe I shouldn’t have said all of those things… I mean, I wasn’t wrong, though. But, I suppose I could have said some of the things in a lighter way. No. No, Hermione, you said what needed to be said, and that’s final. Ginny shouldn’t have hit me, to begin with, no matter how mental her hormones are. Then again, maybe she was right about some of it..._

She was broken from her negative thoughts as Fabian walked through the door into the sitting room.

"Fabian," she smiled at him. "Perfect! I need you to relay a message to Sirius and Gideon for me, is that alright?" She gave him no chance to respond and quickly continued.

"Great. I have to go, but you should know the plans that we've come up with while you all were gone. It was decided that we would all stay at the Rosier Manor, as there is no place big enough and in good enough condition, for us to live. The Rosier’s house elves have been keeping everything clean, so I thought it best if we stay there. Evan, Rabastan, and Antonin have already left to go there. Regulus is up in the attic, gathering some belongings and visiting with his mother's portrait. If you three wish to stay somewhere other than the manor, please send me an owl so that I know you will be somewhere safe. Make sure the other two know this, alright?"

He nodded to her, and she gave him a hug and then a quick kiss on the cheek, surprising him immensely. He almost thought for a second that she was mistaking him for Sirius because she had touched him so freely.  

"Thank you, Fabian, I owe you one!"

Suddenly, she was gone.

He stood there confused, until Sirius, his brother, and Harry all walked into the room. Sirius clapped him on the shoulder, efficiently breaking him out of his trance.

"Gideon, you alright mate?" Sirius asked.

Fabian looked at him and raised an orange brow. "I'm Fabian. You were with Gideon this whole time, you prat."

Sirius rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, sod off. No one can tell you two apart anyways!" The wizard chuckled and plopped himself down on the couch.

Fabian suddenly got the faraway look back to his face and muttered under his breath at the realization that he had made. "She could tell us apart..."

Gideon seemed to hear his brother and looked at him, confused. "Who, Hermione? Yeah, remember how she got our names right after we introduced ourselves? I was bloody shocked! Even Molly can barely tell us apart." Gideon exclaimed.

Harry heard the conversation and chuckled for a few seconds before joining in. "Hermione has always been able to do that. She could always tell Fred and George apart. No one else really knew how; not even them, to be quite honest. But she always got it right… Is she still here, by the way?"

Harry looked around, not seeing her curly head of hair anywhere. _Where the hell is she? I could have sworn that she was just here..._

"She told me that she had to go. She wouldn't even let me get a word in; she was in such a tizzy. She wanted me to tell my brother and Sirius that they were all planning on staying at the Rosier Manor. Said that the house elves have been taking care of it, so she thinks it is the best place for us to stay at right now. She said that Rosier, Lestrange, and Dolohov have already left to go there. Regulus is up in the attic getting his old things and talking to the portrait of his mum. If either of us three decides that we wish to go somewhere else, she said she wants us to owl her and let her know about it so that she knows that we are somewhere safe. She told me that she owed me one for relaying the message, and she was gone a second later." Fabian said, and he shrugged his shoulders.

Sirius and Gideon sat there contemplating what to do. Harry looked confused, wondering where she could have gone to. Meanwhile, Gideon started weighing out their options.

"Okay, so we could go to the Rosier Manor, back to our old flat, or stay at Molly's. Sirius, I'm assuming that your choices would be either staying here at Grimmauld, or the manor. What do you reckon we should do?"

Fabian opened his mouth and quickly blurted out his thoughts. "I think we should go to the manor, even if it's just for tonight. To be honest, I don't really want to stay anywhere that she isn't. I know that sounds mental, but I just feel like she needs to be there, you know? This whole time that we were separated from her, I’ve felt this sort of uneasy feeling." The other two men nodded their heads in understanding.

Suddenly a voice came cutting through.

"It's the bonds. They will make you feel a certain pull towards her. Her presence affects us all. Most of the time it's the sense of calm that her presence brings us. Her magic is tied to ours and it balances each person's magic, equally. Additionally, she is bound to us by blood. That is why we cannot harm her. Her blood flows through our veins. Once the consummation rituals have been completed, she will be able to sense our magic, along with our emotions; just as we will sense hers. She feels the need to protect us, and it will likely always be that way. That is why she has done and said all of the things that she has tonight. I also believe that she feels safe around us. Not exactly _all_ attributed to the bond, though. You should have seen her when Lestrange spouted out a backhanded insult at her today when she had offered to go with both him and Dolohov back to their manors, to help them sort out anything that was left. Rabastan said that he didn't want to walk into his ‘ancestor's home with a mudblood on his arm.’ I saw her flinch when he had said it. I could tell that she had wanted to go with them. Instead, she smiled at them both and apologized, and told Rabastan that he was right. She said they could go by themselves; they didn't need her. That smile that she wore... It was almost identical to the one she had on her face as she walked out of the kitchen after the _lovely_ Mrs. Potter physically and verbally abused her. She acted as though nothing had happened. We heard it all, you know? We could hear the slap. We listened to every word. Before the other three guys left, she told them that she didn't want them to suffer here anymore. She said she didn't know when she would see us next, but that it didn't matter. I could already see the purple and black bruise that was beginning to form on her cheek. But she smiled anyway." Regulus then turned to glare at Harry.

"And you, Mr. Potter. You didn't even speak up to defend her. She _starved_ for you, and you repay her by sitting by and watching as she gets hit by _your_ wife, and then chastised for an accident that she didn’t even mean to happen. Tell me, Potter, what do you expect from her? Hasn’t she done enough? You're wondering why she left? She left because didn’t feel as though she was wanted here. I wonder if there’s anywhere that she would feel wanted...” Regulus shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, though his face held a frown.  

“When she came up to me for the first time today, she hugged me and thanked me for what I did. She said she couldn’t have done it without my help. Even though I knew that I really didn't make that much of a difference, she made me feel like I actually did at that moment. She told me it was okay. She touched my pathetic dark mark as if it was nothing, and said, ‘It's okay.’ Simple as that… And I believed her.” Regulus clenched his teeth and shook his head in exasperation and defeat, as he gritted out the rest of the words.

“It’s not okay, though. _She_ is not okay. I may not know her like you do, Potter. But, it’s plainly obvious that she isn’t okay. That witch, she’s strong. Even I can see that. It takes a strong person to forgive people like me and the rest of those idiot wizards. She didn’t even need to say that we had her forgiveness, we could simply tell by the way that she acted. She wasn’t afraid to be around us. We all found it odd; that someone so purely good, could bear to be around people so dark... We don’t deserve it. I don’t think the others have realized it yet, but we don’t deserve her. To be honest, I’m not too sure you deserve her either, Potter.”

Regulus tilted his head to the side as he said this, and watched Harry’s reaction. Everyone in the room was silent. They didn't even look at Regulus, instead, all of the other wizards were staring at the floor with a sense of guilt.

“Well, I’m done speaking now, so don’t worry. I wouldn’t want you to think too hard, about another person’s feelings. Anyway, I’m headed off to the manor. Good chat.” The youngest Black said as he turned and walked to the floo.

Just as he was about to throw down the powder, he made eye contact with Sirius. The eldest brother looked confused and hurt. This was the last sight that Regulus saw before he was engulfed in flames.

 

* * *

 

Hermione walked through the graveyard quietly. It was a cold night, and her breath could be spotted in small puffs in the air. Her hands were shoved deep into the pockets of her robes.

Finally, she found his tombstone.

**_Severus Tobias Snape, A beloved Professor, and Hero. January 9, 1960 - May 2, 1998._ **

Hermione giggled a little when she read the inscription; she always did. Sitting down in front of the grave, she began to speak. “Good evening, Professor. I’m sorry I keep laughing when I come here, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. It’s just... How utterly moronic is it, that they described you as a ‘beloved professor’? I can just imagine your face when you would read it.” She chuckled a little at this.

“I wanted to apologize. I called you ‘Severus’ today, and I don’t actually have your permission. It just doesn’t feel right, calling you by your name… You know, I still refer to you as ‘Professor’ almost all of the time. But, anyway, I can’t imagine you enjoy it much when I come and visit you. I’ll bring a book next time, so then you won’t have to listen to me speaking about my pathetic life.” Hermione sighed as she continued.

“But, I came here tonight because, well… I really messed up, Professor. I opened the boxes, those ‘Sacred 28’ ones that I told you about the last time I visited. Go ahead, laugh all you want. I know you’re overjoyed at hearing about my misfortune.” She smiled as she imagined the snarky man reacting to her situation.

“I brought seven back… Fucking seven. It’s just; I don’t know what to do, or how to feel. I’m just so tired, you know? And everything has changed now. My life… It’s not _mine_ , anymore. I have to share it with seven other men, now. Although, I suppose that I basically shared the majority of my life with Harry, and Ron, didn't I?”

Hermione’s thoughts were running rapidly through her head tonight and she felt like there were so many things to say, but she couldn’t make sense of them.

“I can’t possibly begin to imagine how you did everything, Professor. You were completely trapped under the orders of two equally powerful wizards. Your life wasn’t yours anymore, either. I don’t understand how no one ever noticed... Why didn’t I notice? I should have fucking noticed. But, instead, I was too busy trying to get everyone else’s approval, while also trying to save Harry and the rest of the wizarding world, at the same time. I mean, I saw the way that Draco had changed after he had gotten marked. I knew something was wrong, Professor. And I did nothing. I could have helped him. Merlin, I would have helped him fix that bloody cabinet if it came down to it. I could have found a way to make it all work... That’s what I do, being the know-it-all that I am. I always try to find a way so that everything can work...”

Hermione stopped talking as her thoughts suddenly began to switch to memories of her Professor, that night as he lay dying, inside the Shrieking Shack.

“I should have saved you, Professor Snape. I just stood there and watched you die. I didn’t even try to stop the bleeding. I was just so shocked, you know? That’s no excuse, though. I let you die, right in front of my eyes. And you were innocent. Well, not exactly ‘innocent’ but, you were _good_ , Professor. You weren’t an evil person.”

Hermione then thought about everyone’s misconceptions about the Potions Master. Then she had a stray thought that she couldn’t hold back from musing out loud.

“I would have forgiven you, you know. If you would have called me a Mudblood; I would have forgiven you... She should have forgiven you, Harry’s mum... I-it’s just a word. Your actions, though... Those are what mattered; not your words. And I know that you will despise me, even more, when I say this, but, you deserved better... Merlin, I’m so sorry, for everything you went through, Sir. Especially having to deal with me.” Hermione gave a tear-filled laugh as she jokingly said this.

She sniffled and continued.

“I haven't a clue if Heaven is real or not, but if it is, then I believe that’s where you are right now. So, if you really are in Heaven - and it’s as great as people claim for it to be - I hope you are happy, Sir. I truly do. Also, pardon my rudeness, but Remus, if you are up there too, or if you can hear me,” a large knot formed in Hermione’s throat until she finally let the sob take over.

“I brought him back, Moony.” She spoke through her tears. “I brought Padfoot back. I wish you could see him, Remus... I wish you were here. I’ll take good care of him this time, I promise.” As her sobs calmed down, all that was left were stray tears that poured down her cheeks.

In a quiet voice, she managed to speak one last time.

“If anyone else out there is listening; I am so sorry.” She choked out and closed her eyes. Her tired body slumped, and she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her head in her arms.

“I’m sorry…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a sad chapter, and I also apologize to anyone out there who are really big Dumbledore fans. Personally, I don't like him that much, and a lot of the things that I wrote were actually my own opinions and thoughts. Don't worry about the fighting between Ginny and Hermione, I think they will work things out and become very close again, it just might take some time. I also wanted to address the note that I had made on, I think it was chapter 6? I'm not sure, but I mentioned something about coming together with some type of way to show you all visuals of what you are reading, and I've started working on that, and hopefully will have it sorted out soon. I am debating on doing it on two different websites, so that is why it will take me a while.


	9. Chapter 9

Sirius looked towards the twins after a few hours had passed. It was getting quite late, and as much as he wanted, he knew he couldn’t stay. They had agreed to stay in the manor, even if it was just for one night. He saw the two redheads turn towards him, and nod.

“Well mates, shall we go?” Gideon asked.

Sirius nodded and stood up to say goodbye to Harry and the rest of his little family. He walked over to Ginny and gave her a short hug. Then, he turned to the small child in her arms and ran his fingers through James’ fine hair. A small smile graced Sirius’ face as he gazed at the child, and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. The little boy was dead asleep, so all he did was let out a small squirm when he felt the lips on his head.

Finally, Sirius walked over to his Godson.

_He looks just like his father. If only James were here to witness how far his son has come… To see how far_ I _have come._

Sirius’ thoughts were halted when he saw his godson walking over to him.

He smiled and opened his arms to embrace the young man. Harry wrapped his arms around his godfather and gave him a pat on the back.

“It’s good to have you back, Sirius. You have no idea how much I missed you.” Harry said lowly to the eldest Black. Sirius nodded and patted Harry on the back, as well.

“I know, my boy. I’ve missed you too. Now, I shall see you tomorrow, yes?”

“Of course! Yeah, come over whenever you’d like. I’ll be here.” Harry confirmed in excitement, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of spending more time with the man that he never got a chance to be with.

Sirius gave Harry one more pat on his shoulder and watched the twins as they too finished off their goodbyes. Once they turned around, the triad nodded at each other in confirmation, and they all three walked to the floo, departing one-by-one.

The three former Gryffindors stepped foot into a lavish drawing room and looked towards the figure that was sitting on the red velvet couch.

“Welcome to the Rosier Manor, gentlemen. You may each pick a room for yourself upstairs. Rabastan is up in his quarters right now. Dolohov is in the Library, attempting to annoy Regulus. The elves are making a late dinner, as it turns out that Antonin is still quite hungry. What a _surprise_ , I must say... Anyways, we all agreed that it wouldn’t hurt to eat some more too so, the elves will summon you when everything is ready. Go on.” Evan waved his hand in dismissal.

The three wizards slowly walked up the broad set of stairs that sat on the other side of the drawing room. As they made their way up, they passed old, ancient art pieces and various paintings that littered the walls. Once at the top, there were two halls, going from left to right. The twins looked towards Sirius and shrugged their shoulders with indifference and walked down the right hall, picking rooms directly next to each other.

Sirius noted this and decided to take a chance with the left corridor, and he walked past dozens of doors, opening each sealed door, searching for any other occupants. The wizard had ended up picking the room that was adjacent to Regulus’ room, which he identified when he had opened the door and saw all of his brother’s old books laying on the freshly made bed.

_Of course, the little swot brought with all of his books. No posters, not much clothing, just a shit ton of tattered books. Makes sense why he and Hermione seem so oddly close to each other._

Sirius trudged into his room and looked at the large bed, practically salivating at the sight of it. He was exhausted from the hectic day that he had, considering that he had literally come back from the dead, and nodding off for a few minutes sounded like the perfect remedy. _I’ll just lay down for a little bit and rest my eyes, and then get up to see Hermione, or perhaps I'll  help Dolohov pester Reggie…_

Sirius had fallen asleep. Dead asleep. His mouth was slightly open, and he had been snoring for an hour and a half. His clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was tangled into something that resembled a birds nest, right on the back of his head.

He was woken up by a hefty shove, and then he proceeded to roll entirely off of the bed and landed onto the hard floor. He jumped up, swearing, and he peered at the tiny house elf that had been the culprit. _How the hell did that little bugger gather up the strength to completely shove me off of the bed?! Its arms look like bloody sticks!_

The little elf was wearing a monogrammed dress that was white and stuck out its finger to chastise the disoriented wizard. “Master Evan says it's times for guests to wakey up! Come nows!!”

Sirius threw up his hands in exasperation and rolled his eyes at the demanding elf. “Okay, okay. Jeez, all you had to do was tap on my shoulder or something… You didn’t need to bulldoze me out of bed...” He muttered quietly under his breath. Thankfully, the elf did not hear and continued to walk on ahead of him.

The elf had lead Sirius to a set of doors and quickly popped away. As he walked into the kitchen, the aroma of the food made him salivate for real this time.

The twins were already seated right next to each other, and Sirius moved around the table to sit next to the two of them. Dolohov sat in the chair across from him, and Regulus sat on the right side of Antonin. Rosier was seated at the head of the table, and his face held an impatient look on it. Lestrange came walking into the kitchen fashionably late and rolled his eyes as he saw Evan’s sneer. He sat down next to Regulus and looked at Evan pointedly.

“Well, I’m here now, so let’s eat already,” Rabastan said.

Regulus shook his head, and Evan glared at the pretentious wizard with an even more sour look. “We’re waiting for Hermione, you selfish git.” He looked at the rest of the men in questioning, “Has anyone seen her?”

Everyone shook their heads, and Fabian tilted his head in confusion as began to speak.

“The last time we saw her was about four hours ago, back at Grimmauld Place. You’re saying she didn’t come back here?”

Evan shook his head and pursed his lips. “No, I thought she was coming behind you all?”

Dolohov spoke up in an annoyed voice. “Who cares where the stupid witch is, let’s just eat. I’m sure she’ll show up later.”

Sirius wanted to protest this but saw one of the twins shake their heads at him as a way of saying, ‘ _don’t start any fights, just ignore him._ ’  His body slumped in disappointment as his brain had agreed with the two Prewetts.

Everyone began to eat, surrounded by an awkward silence. The only sound that could be heard were the forks and knives clinking against the plates. Before anyone else could say something, Sirius opened his mouth and asked a question that had been bugging him all night.

“Regulus,” he said to his little brother. The younger man lifted his head and tilted it towards him.

“Ah… So, _now_ I am worthy enough to be spoken to, brother?” He sneered.

Sirius clenched his hands and glared back. “Oh, do be quiet. I have a question.”

Regulus lifted one eyebrow at this and motioned for Sirius to proceed. “Alright, continue on, then.”

Sirius hesitated and looked down for a second, before making eye contact with his brother. Their identical grey eyes met each other.  

“Tonight… You mentioned that Hermione had thanked you for what you had done when she first met you. What did you mean? Why on Earth would she thank you?”

Regulus became still as he realized what his brother had just asked him.

Next to him, Rabastan carefully set down his utensils and turned his head towards Regulus as well. “Interesting. Please, do tell, Regulus.”

The young wizard started shaking his head in refusal and was beginning to get anxious. “No, absolutely not, it’s none of your business. Either of you.”

Sirius noticed the telltale signs that indicated that his brother was becoming nervous. His body went on the defensive, and his eyes lost all expression. He had turned into the perfect replica of any pureblood, especially those of prestigious families.

Sirius knew now that his brother was hiding something fairly vital from him. 

Sirius looked at his little brother with a hard face and started to command him, knowing it would frighten him just enough to make him give in. “Tell me. I am not asking you anymore, Regulus, I am telling you.”

Regulus was reminded of his intimidating father when Sirius had said this, and suddenly he felt himself begin to shut down.

He couldn’t get out of this one.

His voice was malicious as he began to speak. “Fine, you want to know so damn badly? I had defected. I was no longer safe around the Dark Lord. He was becoming someone, _something_ , that I could not even recognize. I could not, in good conscience, continue to obey the orders of a madman, especially once I had found out about his Horcruxes. I was the first one to find out, and I knew I had a death sentence because I had possessed this knowledge. So, I decided to steal one of his Horcruxes: Slytherin’s locket. I had planned to destroy the real locket, and replace it with a fake. The Dark Lord had hidden it in a cave; somewhere significant to him I presume. I took Kreacher with me; I needed him to make sure that I wouldn’t back out. When I entered the cave, I saw that the locket was inside a basin, filled with a murky liquid. It was the Drink of Despair, and the only way I could get the locket was if I drank it, so I did.”

Regulus took a deep breath before he grudgingly went on.

“I saw things… While I was drinking it... Horrible things; like I was watching all of my nightmares and greatest fears play out right in front of me. A-and I was so thirsty, but I couldn’t stop. It was imperative that I continue. Once I had finally gotten the locket, I knew I was no longer strong enough to destroy it. I knew I was going to die... So, knowing this, I changed the plan and gave the real locket to Kreacher, and ordered for him to leave. I told him that he could not tell anyone about what I had done.”

Regulus began to look detached as he continued his story.

“Inside the cave, there was a lake. It was filled with Inferi. However, I was unfortunately not aware of this. I went to get a drink of water; I couldn't take the thirst any longer. Then, the next thing I knew, I was being dragged underwater, and I couldn’t move my body to swim back up... And, that was all. I had died. Although, before I had, you know, died... Inside of the fake locket, I had placed a note. I had written out what I had done, and what I had intended to do with the real Horcrux. Hermione, she saw the note in the fake locket. I signed off the message with my initials: R.A.B. Of course, she had figured it out, and she knew that it was me. _That_ is why she thanked me, Sirius.”

The whole dining room was silent, and Regulus had begun to observe the reactions of the others. Rabastan looked confused, or appalled; Regulus didn't know which. Dolohov seemed like he didn’t care much at all. The twins were shocked. Their mouths were wide open, just like their eyes. Rosier just sat there in his chair with his hands clasped together and nodded at Regulus.

Lastly, he looked at his brother.

Sirius looked as though every word that Regulus spoke was a hex thrown at him. His face looked painful, and his eyes were glistening. His hands were pulling at his hair, and then he heaved out a large breath and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. After a few seconds, he brought his head back down, and glared at his younger brother, his eyes burning with anger.

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?! I would have helped you! I could ha-”

“No, you wouldn’t have! You wouldn’t have given me the time of day, and you fucking know it, Sirius. I was nothing but another vile Death Eater to you.” Regulus yelled at his brother.

Suddenly a soft voice had sounded in the room.

“Shite... You told him, didn’t you?”

Every head in the room spun to look at the owner of the voice. Regulus was the only one who didn’t turn around. His defeated head nodded from behind. He could hear her let out a loud exhale.

Abruptly, the screeching sound of a chair being pushed back echoed throughout the room. His head shot up to see Sirius stalking towards Hermione. She looked at him with a confused frown on her face and was moving backward with each step closer that the fuming wizard took. Sirius had grabbed her small shoulders within each strong hand and opened his mouth to let out a roar of words.

“You knew?! You fucking knew this whole time, and you didn’t think it was something that _maybe_ I should have known?!”

“Sirius, you have to understand, i-it wasn’t my place to tell you.” She said with a frightened voice.

“I don’t care whose place it was! Both of you should have told me. Especially you, Hermione Granger. I expected much more from you. Merlin, Hermione, I’m starting to think that perhaps Ginny was right tonight.”

A sharp gasp was heard, and Hermione had pushed herself away from Sirius so briskly that she ended up slumped on the floor. Her hand covered her mouth, partly to hide her sobs, and also to convey how hurt and shocked she was by his words. Her brown eyes were wide open, shedding warm, salty tears that streaked down her cheeks.

Sirius instantly seemed to realize what he had said, and extended his arms out as he started to move towards her to begin to apologize.

“No.. No, Hermione, you know I didn’t me-”

Hermione pushed herself back away from the guilty wizard until she stood up quickly and shook her head at him. She removed her hand from her mouth and choked out three quiet words before she took off running.

“How _could_ you?”

Despite how quietly she had spoken, her words had echoed throughout the entire room. The only other sound that could be heard was the floo activating.

Regulus felt his stomach plummet as he watched the interaction between his brother and Hermione.

“What have you done, Sirius?” He whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “How much more do you think she can handle? _I_ told her not to tell you. You heard what Potter’s wife said to her tonight. We _all_ heard. You honestly think that she was right? Gods, you might as well have just fucking hit her too, while you were at it. Fuck, if I thought she wasn’t okay before - after the comment Rabastan made, and the rant that Potter’s wife spat out - then I can tell you right now that she has finally broken. Does anyone even know where she’s been for these past few hours? Merlin... No one even cared, did they?”

Regulus huffed in anger, when, without warning, Rabastan spoke up.

“Hold on, how the bloody hell do _I_ have anything to do with all of this?!”

Evan looked at him, his light blue eyes closing in irritation, and started shaking his head. “Really, Lestrange? Didn’t you see her after the comment you made about ‘walking into your ancestor’s house with a mudblood on your arm’? Damnit, Rabastan, she even recoiled when you said it. All she wanted was to come with you and Dolohov. I can’t imagine why she would prefer to go with _you two_ gits out of all people, but she obviously wanted to be with you both.”

Rabastan went to open his mouth to retort, but Fabian spoke up before he could.

“She wanted to protect you two. She can’t help it; the bonds make her feel like she needs to protect all of us. Regulus said something tonight about how she probably feels safe around us. As Rosier said, I can’t imagine why she would feel safe around you two, but she does. You completely shut her down. Do you even realize who she is? Merlin… The things that Harry told us tonight… She helped save the entire wizarding world. She has done things that none of us would _ever_ dare to do. I mean, the girl trapped Rita Skeeter in her animagus form - a beetle - in a glass jar for days! All because the woman was writing articles about Hermione and Harry. She even lured Dolores Umbridge into a herd of centaurs!”

Antonin’s body seemed to perk up in intrigue as he heard what the fiery witch had done.

“She’s a bloody war heroine! She is a muggle-born witch, who got the highest N.E.W.T. scores in her _entire_ class. She beat out Draco Malfoy, and Theodore Nott; both pureblood wizards, who were born and raised in the wizarding world. Blimey, she slapped Draco Malfoy across the face during her third year!” Sirius laughed a little at this and Rabastan smirked, too.

Dolohov was at the very edge of his seat by this point.

“She’s extraordinary... I don’t think that I have ever met a witch who is as powerful as this woman is; both magically **and** intellectually. To have a witch like her actually care about me and my well being, I am the luckiest wizard in the world. I reckon there are much worse witches out there to be soul bonded to. Plus, you gotta admit, she’s not bad on the eyes. The things I would do to her if I had her all to myself... “ The eyes of each wizard turned dark as their thoughts lingered on the last thing Fabian had said.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Hermione sat, curled up on her couch in her small flat, sobbing into her hands. At times like this, she was in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

Hermione had done enough crying in the past day to last her months. She had always tried her hardest not to allow herself to cry too often. Not that crying was a bad thing, of course, it wasn’t. Sometimes it was an innate response, and other times people just needed to sit down and have a good cry and allow themselves to feel something different than that of a warrior.

Hermione knew that she could not always be strong, though she endeavored always to do her best. But, she had to admit, that right now she was tearing at the seams, and her warrior mentality couldn’t be upheld any longer. _Good Godric, I could really use a complimentary Weasley right now… Hermione thought to herself._

The Weasley family had always been the ones who made her smile when she was down, well, besides Ron most of the time. Bill, Charlie, even Percy sometimes would help cheer her up, but the twins were the best at it. It was as if the two jokesters knew precisely the correct thing to say that would put a smile on her face, or produce even a tiny chuckle. Contrary to a lot of other people’s beliefs, she actually adored the dynamic duo.

When she was younger, their methods of pranking frustrated her, and she did yell at them quite a bit for it. But, as she got older, and especially during the war, she came to appreciate their fun personalities. Fred and George Weasley were the wizards to go to for even just a small moment of cheer. She pondered the thought of whether Fabian and Gideon would be the same.

This very thought gave Hermione an idea.

She pulled out her wand and started to wave it above her. She thought about Fred and George and all of the times they had made her laugh, and, most of all, she thought about the times when she would open up the door to the Burrow, and she would find herself squeezed in between two tall bodies before she could even take a step inside.

_"Expecto Patronum!"_

Her blue, ethereal otter wisped around the room and halted right in front of her face. Hermione smiled as the familiar creature nudged her for her message. Complying, she began to speak.  

“ _Angie? It’s Hermione. I was hoping that you could ask George if he could possibly stop by my flat? It’s, well… It’s sort of a stupid reason, but I could really use a friend to speak to right now, and I think George would be best. There is also some news that I must tell him, so if you could inform him of that, it would be a big help. Thanks, Angie. Oh, and give the kids a kiss from me!_ ” With that said, Hermione watched as her otter nudged her one last time before it drifted away through the air.

After only about three minutes had passed, she heard the sound of her floo. She looked up right as George Weasley began to walk into her anything-but-opulent sitting room. At the sight of the now grown man, she felt herself let go.

The moment that George saw her tear stained, blotchy face, he moved as quickly as possible, and within two steps he sat down next to her and encapsulated her trembling body into his arms as she sobbed against him. He began to rub large circles over her back, and slowly she started to calm down. Finally, she lifted her head from the wizard’s sweater that was now damp with her tears and cleared her throat to speak.

“Hi, George.” She smiled weakly.

“Ah, there she is! ‘Mione, what happened? Who do I need to prank for hurting you, love?”

Hermione laughed and shook her head, sniffling as she wiped her face with her sleeve. “No one, not yet. For me to explain why I am like this, I first need to tell you something, and I want you to promise that you won't get mad.”

George nodded his head and lifted his left hand, “I, George Weasley, promise not to get mad at Hermione Granger, no matter how badly she has fudged up. Side note, let it be said that pranks are still allowed, and if said witch happens to wake up with pink hair than it shall have been done legally and therefore no punishments shall be given for said prank master.”

Hermione only rolled her eyes and let out a sigh at what George had said before she began to tell him everything. She told him about finding the boxes, the things that she had learned from Lucius, her plans with them, and finally about her waking up in the arms of Sirius Black who she had brought back from the dead, along with everyone else. She may have told him about what Ginny had said, and what she had said in retaliation. She ended off by telling him what had happened at dinner tonight and the things that Sirius had told her.

George had kept his promise, and didn’t yell at her at all. Though, Hermione was quite sure that his jaw would get stuck from having his mouth hanging open for so long.

“And that’s everything… I thought I should tell you all of this as a sort of ‘heads up,’ I guess you could say. I expect Fabian and Gideon will go to see your mother tomorrow, and I wanted you to be prepared to see both of them together. I didn’t want you to feel…I don’t know… Sad, once you saw how similar they are compared to you and Fred. I know you don’t like talking about him, but I just wanted you to know that I didn’t do this to hurt anyone. I never intended for any of this to happen. But, it did, and now I must handle the consequences.”

George’s mouth finally shut, as he looked earnestly at Hermione, and then hugged her tightly.

“Blimey ‘Mione… I mean, thank you, for telling me this. You don’t know how much I appreciate this, honestly. I-I don’t know what to say, and you know that’s a first for me! Merlin…. You’re brilliant Hermione Granger. Don’t listen to what my sister says, alright? You are amazing. You brought back my uncles… You brought back Sirius bloody Black! You’re a genius… Of course, I always knew that you were, but this has taken it to a new level… Gods, I’m friends with a pure genius!!”

Hermione laughed at George’s ramblings and grabbed one of his hands that he had been using as he was clutching his head in astonishment. She set his hand on her lap and looked down at it as she began to speak.

“George, do you really think I can do this? That I can be with seven different wizards? I can’t even maintain a relationship for longer than two bloody months! How am I going to do this?! It’s a mess… But at the same time, I am hopeful… They’re not bad wizards. I mean, some of them have done horrible things in the past, sure, but I can’t help but forgive them. And your uncles, George, they’re amazing. Granted, I haven’t spent much time at all with them, but they just… They _feel_ like you and Fred… It’s magical, it truly is… I can’t wait for you to meet them. I know this will sound like nonsense, but, I want them, George… I want to be with all of them, just in general terms. But what if they don’t want to be with me? What if they never want me? What if everyone ends up hating me? Not just them, but the wizarding world as a whole. Not everyone can be the open-minded and brilliant Mr. George Weasley.” Hermione smiled as she said this.

George barked out a laugh at the words, and then looked at her with gentle eyes.

“Hermione, I don’t know what will happen in the future when all of this comes out, but I want you to know that I will be there. Even when everyone has turned against you, which I hope never happens, I will be standing there right by your side. I’ve always had your back, Hermione. Fred... Fred will be by your side too. You’re special to us, both. You have this completely odd connection with us, and I know for a fact that I would never be able to go against you. You’re a great witch, Hermione Granger. You know that I love you, and, Fred... He loved you too. He _still_ does, wherever he is. The world… The world wouldn’t be the same, if you weren’t here, Hermione. Don’t you realize how significant that you truly are? People, they look up to you. I reckon there are a few kids out there, who, when asked what they want to be when they get older, they will say that they want to be Hermione Granger. That’s incredible…  _You’re_ incredible. I rather say you’re _almost_ as amazing as me. Maybe, if you try your hardest, you’ll be able to surpass my greatness one day.”

Hermione giggled and buried her head back into George’s chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you, George.”

The wizard smiled and wrapped his arms around her neck.

“It’s no trouble, Hermione. No trouble at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've finally finished editing this chapter and decided to post it now, instead of procrastinating over it like I have been doing for days. I have a bad habit of thinking that there is always something that can be fixed in my writing, and of course, there always is- no one's writing is completely perfect, but it causes me to procrastinate and just edit a single chapter for days! I always end up making small edits on chapters even after I've posted them, so you'd think I'd have learned better. But, alas, I have not. Anyway, enough rambling. I want to thank everyone who has left comments. You are all amazing, and I am so thankful that you all take time out of your day to respond to my writing, it makes me smile every time that I read one. So, I have a spoiler alert for the next chapter! Hermione will have a small interaction with Evan, though most of the chapter will be about her and Regulus (and it will be smutty, don't fret.) Also, thanks to people who have agreed to my special treatment of Regulus in this story. I'm glad when others appreciate the special connection that he and Hermione have, and I hope that those of you who prefer the other guys will continue to read on as they will get their due time as well! Sorry for making this note so long! Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

After George had left, the time was nearing 11:15 pm. Hermione had laid down, thinking that perhaps she would just stay in her flat for the night. As she had attempted to go to sleep, she couldn’t stop her mind from running. She felt restless, like she needed to be doing something,  _anything_  else than nodding off. She knew that she was exhausted physically and mentally, but her mind wouldn’t submit to sleep. Tonight, things hadn’t ended right. Things weren't resolved, and this bugged Hermione to no end. Naturally, she knew that she couldn’t fix all of her problems tonight, but she could try and fix at least one.

She needed to see  _him_.

Coming to this conclusion, she slipped on a large jumper over her sleep shirt; an old jersey that she may, or may not, have taken from Viktor. It was a red and black Bulgaria quidditch jersey, with the name ‘KRUM’ printed in white on the back in large letters. She slid on a pair of flannel shorts and some slippers and quickly stepped into the floo.

_Bollocks, it’s not like I’m going to a bloody Ministry ball. Who cares how I look?_

Hermione stepped out into the extravagant Rosier manor and noticed that it was quite empty at the moment.  _Everyone must be in their rooms... Probably sleeping. Just like I should be doing... Perhaps I should just go back home and deal with it later; I don't want to impose on anyone._ All at once, Hermione was brought out of her thoughts as a small house elf popped right in front of her.

“How can I helps you, Missy Hermione?”

Hermione gave the elf a broad smile and crouched down so that she was on the same level as the little creature. “Can you please show me which room is Master Evan’s?”

The house elf nodded, it’s ears flopping back and forth. The elf grabbed her hand and began to lead her throughout the large manor. Looking at the elf, Hermione had a sense of compassion when she saw how happy the small elf was. Hermione knew now that some house elves liked to serve under a specific family name, so she had quickly given up the notion that she could free all of the house elves once she saw how her S.P.E.W. campaign had gone.

Finally, they both stopped in front of a large set of double doors.

“Here yous go. Is that all, Missy Hermione?”

“Yes, that will be all, thank you.” The elf disappeared with a pop, and Hermione turned back around and slowly took hold of one of the door handles. She began to open it and peeked through the small crack. The view that she saw brought a small smile to her face.

Evan was laying on a small dark green couch that was located in front of a fire that was burning on old logs. His legs were hanging off of the end of the couch, as they were so much longer than the quaint loveseat. She quietly closed the door and walked over to his still form. His eyes were closed, and she crept a little closer. She decided to call out his name first, just in case she startled him.

“Evan?” She spoke softly.

His blue eyes slowly blinked open, and he quickly sat up on the couch. Once he saw that it was her, Evan relaxed a little but was still sitting up in attention.

“What are you doing here? Do you need something?”

Hermione looked sheepishly at him and replied. “No, I don’t particularly _need_ anything… I just wanted to thank you for letting everyone stay here. I know you didn’t have to agree with what I said, but you helped me out immensely by doing this.”

Hermione found herself shuffling her slippered feet over to sit next to him on the couch, and she turned her body to face him.

“Evan?” She asked him again with a small, unsure voice.

He looked at her with curiosity. “Yes?”

“Can I hug you?”

His eyes opened wide when she asked him this, and he nodded foolishly like he was on autopilot. Suddenly, he felt her soft body pressed against his.

“Evan, why did you do it? Become a Death Eater.” Hermione whispered into his neck, nervous about asking, afraid that she was pushing his boundaries. She felt him stiffen and immediately went to take back what she had said.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want. Not yet, at least. But, it is something that I would like to know, between all four of you. You, Antonin, Rabastan, and Regulus… As much as I have forgiven you all, I just… I need to know why.”

Evan seemed hesitant to reply but decided that now would be the best time to tell her. “I didn’t want to become one. I never really did. But, my father… He grew up with the Dark Lord. He was one of the very select few who were closest to him. Growing up, he was there, Tom Riddle. Even if he wasn’t there in person, he was always talked about. He was actually my Godfather… The same goes for Lucius as well. His father, Abraxas, was also quite close with Tom… Dolohov was there as well… I was never close to him though, so I've never talked about his time with the Dark Lord. Anyway, it is no secret that while I was growing up and while I was at Hogwarts, my allegiances were skewed towards the dark side. It didn’t bother me… I was okay with it, you know? I grew up knowing that I would become a Death Eater, just as my father was. There really was no other option. If I left the country, my father or my mother would have been tortured and killed. Looking back, I don’t think now that I would have cared much about my father. But my mother… She didn’t deserve to die. Not that way, at least.”

“What was she like?”

“She was… Well, it’s hard to say. She was very sick as I was growing up. When I was born, she was having a lot of difficulties. She was constantly contracting fevers, and she could barely walk. The worst was her magic; It became weak. Of course, there are usually fluctuations in women’s magic while they are pregnant, but she was practically a squib. The birth was rough for my mother as well. It was like her body could not sustain my magic; it was as if I was stealing all of her magic. Anyway, after I was born, she was still just as ill as before. We had hoped that she would regain her strength and especially all of her magic, but not much seemed to have changed. I was practically raised by the house elves, and my father would only pay attention to me if the Dark Lord were around. I remember sneaking off into my mother’s quarters; I would lay next to her sometimes, and she would just hum to me. That’s all that she was strong enough to do. For a while, she seemed to be doing better, probably around my second year at Hogwarts. She would write to me, and send me letters telling me how much that she missed me. And I remember it being so odd, that she wouldn’t ever write anything about my father or how things were going back at the manor. She would just write stories to me. Usually myths or legends, I guess you could say. To this day, I never found out why she had done that…”

Hermione processed his words, and her voice broke through the silence of the room. “Maybe there was nothing worth telling. Maybe she thought that you could use a happy ending, in a world that was turning into such a nightmare.”

Evan nodded his head slowly. “Yes, I do suppose that you could be right.”

“So what happened to her?” Hermione asked, trying not to seem too overeager, though it was tough as she was quite interested in what he was telling her. 

“After I left Hogwarts, I was marked almost instantly. I was never home anymore to see my mother; I was always out on a mission or researching things for the Dark Lord. I regret that… Not going back to see her when I had the chance. She had died about four months before I did… She lived much longer than any of us expected to be honest with you. When I went on my final mission, I was... I was entirely reckless. The Dark Lord wanted me to go to Gringotts, to my vault, so that I could bring him one of the many dark heirlooms and objects that my family had locked away. I was caught on the way there by three Aurors, one being the infamous Alastor Moody. I knew I would be taken to Azkaban had I got caught, and I could try and apparate away if I was lucky enough to find a spare minute to do it; or, I could fight and hopefully win. So I fought, and I took down the other two Aurors, which left just Moody and I. We fought for what felt like hours, though, it was only about seven minutes. Halfway through the fight, I was given a split second that I could have used to flee… But I didn’t. I hadn’t much left to live for, to be completely honest, and I refused to escape like the rest of my comrades would have done. I was tired of playing this game; of being just a pawn in the Dark Lord’s game. I was sick of the killing and the torturing. Because I  _did_  do that, Hermione. I did terrible things, and I will never be able to forget that. Granted, I was merely a spectator majority of the time, but I was ordered to join in on a select few. The worst part was, I never really cared much for the whole blood purity thing. My father, he was a strong believer in the cause, but I never caught onto the idea. My father, he barely even raised me, so I didn't have someone who was constantly instilling into me that purebloods were superior to everyone else. The only people that ever tried to tell me that were my friends back in Hogwarts. That is when I learned that blood status was actually a relative problem to a lot more people than just my father. When I became a Death Eater, I really didn't know what I had gotten myself into. I had thought that Voldemort wanted to preserve the old ways… I thought that he was going to spread the pureblood traditions so that others would understand the culture and learn it. How stupid was I? You can't even begin to fathom the wake-up call that I was given when I had realized what being a Death Eater was  _truly_  about. It was never about preserving the old ways… It became an excuse for the Dark Lord to murder anyone who opposed him, anyone who was a threat. It didn’t matter if they were muggleborn, half-blood, or even pureblood. He killed them all. I should have done something to stop him. I should have helped like Regulus did…”

Hermione tightened her arms around his neck to get him to stop his ramblings. “Thank you, Evan, for telling me all of this.”

Evan let out a breath, and his body seemed to sink into the couch in relief. “Thank you for listening… This is the first time I’ve ever really talked about it.”

Hermione nodded, and at that moment she could feel her magic seep into him as she moved to lay against him. His arms came around her waist to tug her towards his lap. As she sat sideways on him, her legs laying on the couch, and laid her head once more against his warm skin.

The two of them sat like this for a few moments, basking in the peace, until Hermione lifted her head from his neck, and instead looked deeply into his eyes. She enjoyed the way that Evan made her feel whenever she was around him. He gave her the feeling of contentment and peace. And tonight, she had really needed that. She was so grateful for this small success.

Hermione felt her eyelids shut, as she leaned forward towards the calm wizard. Their noses brushed, and they both paused, their breaths mingling together. Then Evan closed the gap between them in a rushed move. His lips caressed hers so slowly, but they also held a sense of urgency; like he had been waiting for years just to kiss her. He sucked her bottom lip between his, and she let out a sigh, her hot breath whisking across his face. His teeth bit her lip, and she couldn’t help but want more. The air around them felt electric, and something was holding her back from stopping their ministrations. Her arms tightened around his neck, and they continued.

Just as she had given in to the idea that she wouldn't stop herself from something that she wanted so badly, Evan abruptly he broke away from her, exhaling a large breath and clenching his teeth. She furrowed her brows in confusion and trailed her hand up to his jaw, where she had seen the muscle twitch.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione whispered to him, and watched his body deflate, but not in relief this time. 

“Damnit... Hermione, you need to leave before I do something that I shouldn’t do. Not yet…” He said disappointedly.

Hermione nodded her head slowly and started to feel a little embarrassed, her flushed cheeks were proof of it.  _Why didn't I stop myself from the beginning? Gods, I probably looked like a complete slag!_

After she realized that she should probably reply to Evan, instead of sitting there looking like a crazy bint, she spoke. “Okay… Yeah, you’re right. U-um, thank you, Evan. Good night.”

She gave him one last small peck on the lips before she stood up on shaky legs, and began to make her way out of the doors, trying not to stumble in embarrassment. She hadn’t planned for him to make her feel like this; so carefree. She knew that if he hadn't stopped them, she wouldn’t have thought twice about going further. This was the first time that she had spoken to him alone, and she already began to feel the same emotional connection that she felt with both Sirius and Regulus.

Just as she had reached the doors, she heard Evan's husky voice speak out. “Kitten, make no mistake, you  _will_ be back. Soon.”

Hermione blushed at his heated and commanding tone. She rapidly turned around and shut the doors behind her.  _Okay, I need to breathe. No more getting sidetracked, I need to stick to my objective. Fuck, what is happening to me?_

“Um, Elf? I need your help again.” Hermione whispered in a shaky voice into the dimly lit hallway. The elf that had previously aided her earlier popped up next to her and stood, waiting for her instructions.

“Do you mind telling me which room is Regulus Black’s? He’s sort of the reason that I came, originally… I just had to give Master Evan my um, gratitude, first. We got a little… Off topic.”

The house elf grabbed her hand again just as she had done a short while ago, and tugged her down the hall about five doors away. The elf turned her body to face towards the door and was gone within a split second.  _Jeez, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these elves just popping in and out of here so quickly like that…_

Hermione leaned forward and grabbed the door handle of the room. She had opened it with much more ease compared to when she had opened Evan’s. She felt safe around Regulus, and she already had a vast amount of trust in him.  

Inside of the room, all of the lights were off, except for a slight crack in the drapes, which illuminated the figure of Regulus. He was spread out on the large bed, dead asleep. Quietly, she tiptoed closer.  _Merlin, I probably look like a child sneaking a biscuit from my parents._

As she got to the side of the bed, she slid her feet out of her slippers and began to tug off her shorts and jumper. Now, all that she was left in were her knickers and her t-shirt; her usual pajamas. She pulled back the white covers on the side that was unoccupied, and crawled in ever so carefully, trying not to jostle or awaken him just yet. She peered down at the young wizard, and she laid herself down next to him. She couldn’t help the desire that she had, to be as close as she could to him. Whenever she was around Regulus, it was like there was a magnet attached to him and she felt the pull to be close to him.

Hermione wrapped her body around his lean form and laid her head against his bare chest. She had one leg wrapped around one of his own, and her hand lay on his abdomen, tracing circles into the soft, pale skin. She felt his head suddenly move, and one of his arms unconsciously extended out to wrap around her waist and pull her closer.

“Regulus? Are you awake?” Hermione whispered as she propped her chin where her head had previously been laying on his chest.

“Hmm? Hermione?” Suddenly his arm had let go of her, and his eyes flew open. His body went rigid, immediately on defense. Hermione slid one of her hands into his in an attempt to calm him down. She clasped her fingers around his, which were slightly larger than hers, and felt him start to close his hand around hers in response.

“Hermione, what are you doing here?” Regulus asked, dazed from his sleep, and confused as to why someone was in his bed. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had shared a bed with another person.  _The last time was probably with Sirius back when I was little, and I would sneak into his room and lay when him when I had nightmares. That must have been, what, more than twenty years ago?_

Hermione looked up into his light grey eyes and whispered sadly to him. “I’m sorry, Regulus. I should have been here tonight so you wouldn’t have had to tell Sirius all alone, or even at all. I left you.”

Regulus looked at her as if she was a completely different person.  _What in Salazar’s name is she talking about?_

“Why are  _you_  apologizing? None of this is your fault, Hermione. I promise you did nothing wrong.” He told her adamantly. He watched as Hermione lowered her head against his chest again and nodded her head at him. Her hair tickled against his exposed stomach, and he fought the urge to make a noise. He was still pondering what she had just said to him.

 _This whole time she has been blaming herself? This wasn’t her fault. My idiot of a brother shouldn’t have said what he did._   _He’s just as impulsive as he always was._

Regulus was torn abruptly from his thoughts when he felt a pair of hot lips kiss his chest, replacing her unbound curls. He sucked in a breath at the feeling and gripped her hand in his tighter. She didn’t stop at one kiss, and she began to trail the kisses around the expanse of his chest. The kisses ran all the way up to his neck before he even knew it. He could feel her body rubbing against his side, and her leg would loosen around his before she’d tighten it again. His breathing had sped up, and he could feel a heat growing in his abdomen, amongst  _other things_  growing. Hermione was licking his neck now in between her kisses, and she made little noises all the while.  _Fuck, this is not good Regulus… I mean it’s good, but she’s going to be able to tell how much she’s affecting me…_

Hermione, of course, could feel his chest pumping up and down from his rapid breaths, but she wasn’t bothered by it. She wanted to make him feel good. He deserved to feel cared about, and he deserved to feel appreciated. Hermione came here with the thought of him tonight. She had wanted to go and apologize to him because he had to tell Sirius his secret, and she knew that was an immensely hard thing for him to do. But it's like the second she got close to him, she couldn't keep herself away.

After Hermione had sufficiently touched as much of his upper body as she could, she made her way up to his lips. Before she kissed him, she laid her forehead against his once again, like she had done earlier this morning, and stared into his eyes.

“Can I?” Hermione whispered, barely any space between their lips. Her top lip would brush against his as she opened and closed her mouth to speak.

Regulus could do nothing but give a short nod; no words willing to come out. As soon as he had done this, Hermione’s lips fully touched his. It was just a simple kiss, slow and gentle, but Regulus could already feel his heart beating five times faster. She pulled back and looked at him once more, searching for his reaction. His eyes were still shut, though his lips were slightly parted, and this made her smile; so she leaned in again for another kiss.

Each kiss that she planted on his lips became longer and rougher, and, before he knew it, they had quickly turned deep and passionate. He could feel her wet tongue swipe against his, as her lips caressed him. Regulus kissed her back, hesitant at first, but he eventually gave back as good as he got, the more that they continued. Swiftly, he felt a small hand running slowly down his chest, getting closer to his abdomen, where he could feel himself already hardening. 

_How long has she been touching me? How could I have missed that?! Merlin, I was so focused on her lips that I forgot about her hands._

Regulus stopped kissing her and looked up at her desperately. He was nervous and opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water before he finally spoke all at once.

“Hermione, I-I’ve never done anything like this before,” he let out in one deep breath. Hermione’s hand stopped her descent, and she looked at him with a sincere face. She wasn’t making fun of him, nor was she angry. She just looked sincere, and almost concerned.

“Do you want me to stop? Just tell me to stop, and I will.”

Regulus shook his head, and Hermione nodded at this before she let out a collective breath and decided to tell him her thoughts. “I want you, Regulus. I came here for you tonight and, I-I want you to be first. But, we don’t have to do this if you aren’t comfortable with it, okay?”

His eyes opened wide, and he nodded his head. “Y-yes. That’s okay.” Regulus was shocked when he listened to what Hermione had told him. He felt his heart warm at the thought of her choosing him out of all of the wizards. 

 _She could have picked Sirius. Merlin knows how many witches he’s been with, and at least he’s experienced. But she chose me instead…_   _Oh Circe, she bloody amazing._

Hermione - oblivious to Regulus’ whirlpooling thoughts - closed her eyes and brought her lips back to his neck; continuing to move her hand down his body. His skin was soft, and her hand moved slowly, making sure that Regulus was comfortable with the pace that they were moving at. She was watching his reactions, and she could hear him panting quietly.  _Okay, I can’t push this… I need to keep a steady pace, no matter how much I want to straddle him and ride him until I pass out._  The hand that she had been trailing down his body stopped it’s journey as it reached the waistband of his boxers.  _Ripping them off of him is not an option… Gods, why am I feeling like this? I’ve never felt this desperate before, and it’s taking everything for me to hold back… Is it the bond? I sure hope so, or else I must be in need of a good shag or two._

Hermione sucked in a deep breath and exhaled, her cheek laying on his chest, watching her own hand explore him. She stuck her finger inside the band of his boxers and rubbed the skin that was beneath the fabric. Then, she curled the rest of her fingers over the elastic waistband and gripped the fabric tightly as she slowly slid them down his legs. She was entranced as he became exposed right in front of her eyes and felt her breath hitch at the sight of him. Her brain felt muddled and foggy, and she let her body move subconsciously.

Regulus hissed when he felt her small hand grab his burning cock. She pulled him out of his boxers entirely and ran her fingers over the shaft of his heat; tracing the veins that ran along the length of him. She brought her fingers up to the leaking head, and he watched her as she spread the precum over her hand.

Regulus groaned when she finally circled her entire hand around him and gripped loosely, rubbing up and down; tightening when she got towards the tip. Regulus was breathing heavily, and dropped his head back against the pillow, while his hands clenched onto the sheets. He could feel his hips rocking into her hand, no matter how hard he tried to stay still.  _Shite, this feels so much better than I thought it would. Why does her hand feel so much better than mine?!_

Suddenly she stopped pumping him, and he moved his head up to look at her; questioning why she had ceased movement. “What happened? Did I do something wrong?” He asked in a timid voice.

Hermione shook her head and smiled at him. “No, you’re fine Regulus. I just want to try something else, is that alright?”

“Oh, y-yeah that’s fine.” Regulus let out a relieved breath.  _I need to relax; it’s all fine. Hermione will guide me the whole way through, it’s good. Merlin, it’s so bloody good…_

Hermione lifted herself up onto her knees, and straddled his lap, holding herself elevated so that she wasn’t touching him quite yet. Slowly, she grabbed one of his hands that had a vice-like hold on the sheets and brought it up to her pink lips. She kissed his palm and the pad of each finger. Regulus watched her in wonderment, and his eyes widened as she brought his hand down her body over her shirt. Then, she lifted up the bottom of the fabric and slid his hand inside her knickers.

“I want you to touch me…” Hermione bit her bottom lip as she said this.

He could feel her bare pussy and opened his mouth in surprise when she pushed his hand down even further; so that he could feel the wetness that covered her. He bit the inside of his cheek as he felt her bring one of his fingers down to circle over her entrance. She then returned the finger back up to rub at her most sensitive spot.

“This right here, this is the clit. This part feels the best for me when you rub it in circles like this.” She moaned as he followed the actions of her words; beginning to move his fingers on his own. 

 _Gods she looks perfect like this._ Her hair was falling on her blushed face, and her mouth was open a fraction as she sucked in quick breaths. Frantically, she brought the finger back down to her entrance and this time she pushed his digit inside of her. Regulus watched as she held his gaze in a deep stare. It looked like she was holding every single emotion that was bottled up inside of her, behind those hazel eyes.

“This is where you’ll go. Right in here. Do you feel that, Regulus?” She said this in a low, breathy voice, and all he could do in response was nod his head; which seemed to be the only response that he gave her all night.

Everything felt so surreal to Regulus; he had never thought that he would experience this. Back in Hogwarts, he had never spent time with other witches. That was more of his brother's job. All he wanted to do was pass his classes, impress his parents, and impress the Dark Lord as well. There was little time for him to mess around with girls, and none of them had ever seemed much interested in him either. But Hermione was different. He knew that she had to do this with him eventually because of the rituals, but he also felt that she wanted this as something more than just her 'duty.' She cared about him and his feelings, but most importantly, she made him feel comfortable and  _wanted_. 

Regulus was shaken from his thoughts as he felt her tightening her walls against his finger.  _Holy fuck she is so hot. Merlin, I’m going to be inside of her. I can't believe I am doing this..._

In a flash, his grey eyes watched as she let go of his hand, and reached for the bottom of her shirt. She rapidly lifted the top over her head and threw it haphazardly onto the floor in a rush. She was utterly bare underneath it, and her tits looked utterly perfect to Regulus. Her nipples were hard and deep pink, and they jutted outwards as is they were begging to be touched. Before he had realized, Hermione had already grabbed his free hand and ran it up her body. He was entranced as he watched his large hand travel her small frame. Finally, he had reached his destination as she clasped his hand over her left breast. They fit perfectly inside his palm, and he couldn’t stop himself from squeezing lightly on them. Hermione whimpered at this, and he took that as a cue to continue.

He took her pebbled nipple in between his thumb and pointer finger and rolled it in between them. He continued his ministrations with his fingers, instantaneously remembering that his other hand had slipped out of her knickers. As he went to bring his hand back inside, Hermione's hand stopped him from moving.

“Hermione, what-”

She shushed him and held his hand tight within her own. She waved her hand; vanishing his boxers that were barely even pushed down his thighs. She managed to disappear her knickers as well, and that was when he realized that there was nothing left to separate their lower bodies from each other. He watched his stiff cock twitch as she lowered her hot pussy against his shaft that lay on his stomach.

When they finally touched, he couldn’t help but let out a grunt as he felt the warm, wet velvety skin that rubbed against his own. This spurred Regulus into action as he lifted his head up from his pillow, and attached his lips to her breast. Hermione gasped as she felt him suck on her and occasionally nibble on the tip of her nipples.

“Shit, Regulus… Don’t stop, please.” She brought her hand to the back of his head and ran her fingers through his curly black hair. He moaned deeply at this and continued his ministrations with even more enthusiasm. This, combined with her hips grinding her cunt over his cock, left Regulus feeling as if he was in heaven. He could only dream of something like this happening.

In the rare times that he would imagine something like this happening, it would be with some stuck up pureblood witch that his parents would have him betrothed to, but now his dreams would forever change. Now, they would consist of a feisty muggle-born witch, who had proved that his parents were wrong. She was brilliant, beautiful, and caring. She sincerely cared about him. She chose  _him_ to be first, and she chose  _him_ to go to for comfort.

She understood him and protected him too, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to that. It had only been a day, and he couldn’t get over how amazing the witch was. She was his. He didn’t have to worry about being betrothed to someone his parents would pick for him. Both his soul  _and_ his magic chose for him, this time.

Regulus couldn’t take the waiting game any longer; he was as desperate as she was, if not more. “Hermione, please, I want to be i-in you. Please...”

He heard her sweet voice whimper, as she tugged on his hair. She had stopped grinding against him as she began speaking seriously in her next words. “Are you sure Regulus? I need to know if you’re one-hundred percent alright with this. I know want you to be doing it because you want to make me happy.”

Regulus cleared his voice when he saw how serious she was about this. He needed to let her know that he wanted this too. “I am sure, Hermione,” he said in a clear voice, making sure not to stutter.

Hermione smiled at his assurance, and Regulus laid his head on the bed and held his breath. He let out a loud breath and nodded his head rapidly and looked at her in anticipation.

“O-okay I’m ready, show me what to do,” he stuttered out.

Hermione smiled sweetly at his anxious words and brushed a piece of his black curly hair away from his glistening forehead. He closed his eyes and felt himself calm down as she whispered to him. “Regulus, it will be fine. I promise, okay? If you want me to stop, then just tell me and I will. Just do what feels right for you.” He looked into her hazel eyes, and let out a breath. Her eyes were tender, and he knew that she was telling the truth.

“Just watch what I do, okay? I will help you along the way.” Regulus nodded. She smiled at him even brighter than before, and bent her body down, planting a slow kiss on his lips. Before she pulled back completely, he stopped her by placing both hands on her head, bringing her in for one more kiss. This time, it was much more passionate, and he took control of it. Hermione moaned against him at his confidence and pulled back. She sat up on her knees and ran her hands lightly down his body with the tips of her fingers until she reached his length.

His cock was glistening with a combination of his precum and her wetness that she had rubbed on him. Her small hand grabbed him and gave him a few pumps, before positioning herself overtop of him.  _Oh, Gods, she's really about to do this..._  Regulus watched in reverence as she ran the head of his erection through her heat until she stopped when he caught the edge of her entrance. He felt the head of his cock become surrounded by a tight heat, and instantly felt his breathing speed up quicker than before.

_Fucking hell, I sound like I've been running through the corridors of Hogwarts trying to get to Quidditch practice on time._

He couldn’t take his eyes off of the sight of his length disappearing into her. She was so warm; he felt like he was burning. Her walls were tightening around him the further that she lowered herself down, and he clenched his hands around her waist to ground himself, and to occasionally stop her from moving when it got to be too much.

“Fuck... “ Regulus grunted in a breathy and broken voice.

When she had finally seated herself fully onto him, he felt his rapid breaths come to a complete stop. She felt incredible, and he was sure that there was a possibility that he could pass out from the pleasure. He felt like he was about to cum already, and she hadn't even begun to move yet. His fingers were digging into the soft skin on her waist, and she noticed that he was becoming slightly overwhelmed by the sensations.

Hermione slowly leaned herself forward again, trying not to move her hips at all. When her chest was laying against his, she burrowed her head into the crook of his damp neck in an attempt to help him calm down. She ran her hands over his tightly clenched biceps and murmured quietly to him. “It’s okay Regulus. Just breathe...”

He attempted to listen to her words, and let out his breath that he had been holding so reverently. He could feel himself loosen his fingers just slightly, as her soothing voice rushed through him again.

“Just tell me when you’re ready, okay? You’re doing great.” She breathed this out against his nape; her hot breath mixed with her hands sliding through his hair, only adding onto his pleasure.

After what felt like years - though, it was really only about two minutes - he could feel the yearning building within him to begin pumping his hips into her. Hermione felt the movement and continued to stay laying idle atop his chest so that he could have control of the movements.

She felt him raise his knees and plant his feet against the bed, to gain more momentum into his thrusts.

Hermione felt every ridge and vein; every pulse of his cock as he pulled out slowly until the only thing remaining was the very tip. He slowly pushed back into her heat letting out a profound breath, until he was entirely encompassed inside her, and she whimpered when she felt him press against her.

It had been a long time since Hermione last had sex, and the performance was nothing to brag about. She had been on a few dates with some wizards, and a few muggles men as well. So, she was not exactly ‘inexperienced.’ The first time she had sex was about a year after the war had ended when she had gotten a letter from Viktor, inviting her to visit him in Bulgaria over the upcoming summer. She accepted the offer and traveled to his home and stayed with him for three weeks. Eventually, one thing led to another, and she found herself lying naked in his oversized bed, with him slowly pushing into her tight opening. It probably wasn’t the most excellent idea; to lose her virginity to someone as large as Viktor, but she didn’t regret it at all. He was extra careful with her, and he never stopped telling her how beautiful she was and how good she had felt.

Regulus began to speed up his thrusts, and this made Hermione’s breath speed up.  _Fuck, he feels so good; I swear he was made to be inside of me._

He filled every part of her, and it made her feel a sense of completion; as if everything was perfect at that moment. Regulus moved one of his hands to her bottom as he grabbed tightly onto her arse to hold her in place; slightly elevated so that he could plunge himself into her with ease.

Regulus was lost in the feeling of the witch. He couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting; picking up speed with each move. He would never get tired of this feeling.  _Sweet Salazar, I can’t believe this is what I had been missing out on. She’s perfect. And I thought just her hand was terrific, but this is unbelievable…_

He could feel her nipples rubbing against his, and she was licking and kissing his neck in between her moans that were rising in volume. Regulus wasn’t holding back on his voice either; there was entirely no way that he could. She felt too damn good to hold back, and he let out deep moans with almost every thrust. He could feel his cock pulsing, and his hips began to speed up even quicker.

“Fuck Hermione… I’m gonna cum soon. Shite, what should I do?” He knew he would cum soon, and he refused to be the only one. He needed to make Hermione feel as good as he did.

“It’s fine… Just, fuck, please touch me.” Hermione whined out. He took the hand that was still clutching her hip and slid it around to the front of her body. He remembered rubbing the little button from before and remembered the way she had moaned when he had touched it. He slid his fingers down to her abdomen and searched around her pussy for the spot. Finally, he found it, signaled to him by her whimper as soon as he rubbed it with his lithe fingers. Her cunt had tightened around him, and Regulus let out a loud hiss at the vice-like grip. Hermione could tell that he was about to cum, and whimpered into his neck in a desperate voice.

“Inside, Regulus… Cum inside of me, you don’t have to hold back, okay?”

Regulus couldn’t hold back any longer once she had spoken those words. Hermione’s moans were coming out both faster and louder, and he could feel her hips begin to move along with his. He pressed his fingers to her clit a little harder and rubbed faster. He felt her body go still and the walls of her pussy were fluttering against his cock that was still thrusting deep inside of her.

“Oh, Gods... I’m coming. Fuck, Regulus…” As he heard her moan out these words, he suddenly felt a sharp pressure on his neck and realized that it was the feeling of her teeth piercing his skin as she bit him. When he felt her do this, Regulus finally let everything go. He thrust hard into her one last time and held himself as deep inside her as he could go, and he let out a loud gasp. He could feel himself spill his seed into her, and pressed himself even more in-depth. He felt something explode inside him, and he instantly knew that it was the bond sealing and being completed. His magic was mixing together with hers, balancing each other out.

He held her body so tightly to his, and he could feel the indents on her waist from his fingernails that had dug into her skin. He continued to hold himself deep inside of her, as he pressed her body down onto him. He was breathing loudly and let out grunts that turned into sighs.

Hermione was licking his neck where she had bitten him, and she continuously placed small kisses on it; laving at it like a dog.

After a few minutes of them laying boneless, recovering from their climaxes, the only thing that could be heard in the room was their breaths. Then, Hermione lifted her head up towards his, and gently cradled his face in her hands. She softly kissed him on each cheek and eyelid, once on his chin, the tip of his nose, and his forehead. She finished off with a deep kiss on his lips. The witch pulled away from the kiss and lay her forehead against his, as she ran her fingers through his hair that was damp with his sweat.

“Thank you, Regulus.”

He could feel his eyelids shutting, and he whispered back to her with a tired but bright smile on his face. “No, thank you, Hermione.”

She smiled back at him and laid her head back down into his neck and wrapped her arms around his chest. She could feel the exhaustion kick in as she relaxed into his body. She had fallen asleep just like that; in complete and utter happiness. 

 

* * *

 

 

Across from Regulus’ room, Sirius lay in his cold, empty bed scowling at the door.

He could hear both of them the entire time. 

He felt jealous, but also guilty. He knew he shouldn’t have said what he did to her tonight. He didn’t mean what he had said, he was just so angry and hurt. 

Sirius had assumed that she would have chosen him to go first, to consummate the bond with. Instead, she picked his little brother.  _I probably deserved that though... Man, I really buggered everything up when I said what I did, to Hermione earlier._

Plus, he had to give it to Reggie. With the way that Hermione was moaning, he must have been doing pretty well.  _Of course, he was doing good_ , Sirius thought to himself.  _He’s a bloody Black._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, here is chapter 10! To be honest, I really did not enjoy editing this chapter. Writing smut is actually really fucking hard as well, so I am not a big fan of this chapter. In chapter 11, everyone will all go to get new wands, and I already have it all written out. What I am stuck on, is whether you all want me to describe the meaning of each wood, core, size, and flexibility of the wands that I have picked for each wizard. I have researched all of the components to the wands, so I have chosen each person's wand based on how they are perceived in this story. That took me a long time to do actually, but when I wrote out the scene of them getting their wands, I just wrote what each component is, and I didn't explain the meaning to each thing. So let me know if you guys would rather have me tell each wand in detail, or if you'd just like me to post the links to the websites that I used to pick the wands and their meanings, so then you all can just read them yourselves if you would like to. With the way that it is already written as of right now, chapter 11 is around 9,500 words, so if I do end up adding the meanings of the wands, then the chapter will be a long one. I might just try and split it into two sections too... I don't know. Enough rambling, I hope you all like this chapter. I would also like to know what order you all want the men to go in when it comes to the 'consummation.' I think it will be fun to hear your ideas, and I might consider them and change up some of the order.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione woke up early the next morning, when Regulus had unconsciously tightened his arm around her waist, and nuzzled his face deeper into her hair from behind. Her hand came up and lay on top of his; lacing their fingers together. She gave him a small squeeze and felt him move as began to awaken. She turned her body so that they were lying face to face, and brought her free hand up to caress his pale cheek. _Oh Gods, I really hope he doesn’t regret everything that we did…_ Hermione thought to herself with trepidation.

Regulus’ light grey eyes slowly blinked open and focused on the small smile that she had on her face. He gave her a little smile in return and looked up into her deep eyes.

“Good morning,” Hermione said to him in a quiet tone as her voice cracked.

He chuckled at this and replied. His voice was low and raspy from sleep, and the words almost came out as a whisper. “Good morning, Hermione.”

Her smile widened when she saw how content Regulus was, and she leaned forward to give him a small kiss.

_Okay, he doesn’t seem to have any regrets. This is good._

Hermione pulled away and sat up a little, clutching the thin white sheet to her bare chest. She extended her arm to summon her panties and thought nothing of it when they flew off of the ground, and directly into her awaiting hand.

Abruptly, she felt a small pang of sadness in her chest. It was a split second of disappointment. As she turned around in confusion, she caught a little glimpse of a frown on Regulus’ handsome face, as he stared blankly at her hand that held her clothes. She furrowed her brows, and then she began to realize why she had felt that slight disappointment. She turned entirely to the wizard, in sheer delight, and swiftly grabbed both sides of his face.

“Regulus, I can feel you! I could feel your emotions! This is amazing, It really worked!” She grinned at him and laughed. Her happiness was infectious, and the wizard smiled along with her.

Then, Regulus felt the same sort of pang in his chest and furrowed his brows just like she had done before. He looked up at her and noticed that she had a questioning face on, which also seemed to be laced with determination.

“Regulus, what do you say about going to Ollivander’s today, for new wands? We can all go, together. Then you will be able to perform magic more efficiently. I can’t believe I forgot something as important as that, I apologize.”

Regulus looked at her in surprise, and he began to feel giddy at the prospect of getting a new wand. He couldn’t do wandless magic like she could, so he hasn’t been able to perform any magic.

_Now that I think about it, none of the other Wizards have used any magic yet, either. Well, besides using the floo, but we’re not really performing any magic when we do that._

Regulus nodded his head at her, and she jumped up and down on the bed like a child, efficiently making him let out a laugh; he’d never seen an adult do something so childish before.

_Mother and Father would kill me if I did something like that. I can just imagine their faces now… If only they could have been more like her._

Hermione stopped jumping and fell on the bed laughing. He had no idea how something as small as this could make her so happy.

“This is perfect. I think we should go as soon as possible! I’m going to floo call a friend who works there, and ask if we can floo over before she opens the shop! Then I’ll wake up the rest of the guys. Sound good? You can get ready, and meet me down at the dining room table for breakfast at about 7:30? That’ll give you an hour and a half.”

Regulus silently agreed and watched as she jumped off the bed and scourgify herself, and then picked up her clothes to transfigure into more appropriate attire.

Her large jersey morphed into a medium length, button up jean dress with a collar adorning the top, and a bow that was tied loosely around the middle. He watched her as she began to button the dress, keeping some buttons at the top open. Then, she grabbed her old jumper and transfigured that into an off-white cardigan that she slipped on over the dress. She grabbed her slippers, and they were now a white pair of converse trainers.

Finally, he watched as she picked up the pair of shorts in her hands and smirked at them. She waved her hand at the shorts and watched them change into a new pair of black knickers. She smiled triumphantly as she slipped off the ones that she currently had on, and threw them over to Regulus. He watched her slip on the new pair and looked at her with wide eyes. She winked at this look, as she tied her hair into a messy bun that her curls were spilling out of.

Hermione walked over to him as he still sat in shock while holding her knickers in his hand. She leaned over him and gave him a quaint kiss. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but she was already pulling back. He sighed, and she laughed at this.

“I will see you soon, okay? Now, go get cleaned up so we can get you a new wand!”

“Okay, okay. I’ll get ready.”

She waved to him as she walked out of his bedroom door.

_Merlin, she’s going to be the death of me, **again.**_

 

* * *

 

  
Hermione had just finished speaking with Luna who now worked at Ollivander’s after the war. She was quite good at her job and had a knack for picking out wands, as well as making them. She had married Neville two years ago, and they were hoping to start having children soon.

Luna had told her that she would connect the floos and they could come at 7:45. The store opened at 9:00 am, so she hoped that there would be enough time for each wizard to find a wand.

Hermione began walking around the halls upstairs, opening doors to see which wizard she would find. After opening two empty rooms, she opened the door into Fabian’s room.

She walked into the room and opened the curtains a bit to let in some light. Then, she walked over to his bed and crawled up to lay next to him. She put her hand on his shoulder and began massaging his freckled skin.

“Fabian, wake up.” She whispered into his ear.

He threw his arm over his face, and he groaned. “Gid stop. I’m trying to sleep, you git.”

Hermione giggled at this, and his eyes shot open at the sound, and he removed his arm from blocking his view.

“Hermione?! Bloody hell, I thought you were Gideon! You’re lucky I was too tired to push him off, or else you’d be lying on the ground right now.”

Hermione continued to giggle and bent down towards him, and put her hands on each side of his head onto the pillow beneath him, effectively trapping him under her. She lowered her head and pecked him on the lips.

He was shocked by this gesture and stared at her with wide eyes as she began to speak.

“Wake up! You need to start getting ready, we’re gonna go get you wands today! Also, I’m assuming that you're going to Molly’s today, so you need to get up and get dressed if you want to show her that you’re perfectly fine and that I’m not kidnapping you and holding you hostage for my own gain.” She chuckled a little, and he lifted his brow at her and smiled.

“Sweetheart, the position you’re in right now isn’t helping out your case so much. You have me trapped underneath you! I’m going to tell my sister that you’re a mad woman! Now, I’ll reconsider this, if you give me a proper kiss. How does that sound, hm?”

Hermione laughed and shook her head as she lowered her head towards him again. This time, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her down onto him, as he kissed her with passion. He caressed her mouth with his tongue, and Hermione moaned at the feeling. Reluctantly, she pulled back from him, her breath hitching. Her lips were red, and her cheeks were blushing.

“I have to go wake up the others. Now, go get ready, and be in the dining room by 7:30, or there will be no more kisses for you for the rest of the week.”

He opened his mouth and eyes wide, as he put a hand over his heart.

“Hermione, you wound me. A whole week?! You must leave this instant so I can get myself cleaned up. But, I will be expecting another kiss today, Hermione!”

He hopped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.

Hermione laughed and walked out, crossing the hall into the next room. She knew that Fred and George liked to stay close to each other, so she wagered a guess that Fabian and Gideon would be the same.

Opening the door, Hermione was in even more of a chipper mood than before. She walked into Gideon’s room and grabbed the sheets on the bed, and tugged them off, effectively waking up the sleeping wizard. Gideon jumped up out of his sleep and sat up in bed staring at her with surprise.

“Good morning Gideon!” Hermione said happily.

“Um, good morning? Hermione, what on earth are you doing in here, love?”

“I’m waking you up! We’re getting everyone wands today, and you and Fabian are going to go to Molly’s later. So, get your lazy arse out of bed and get ready.”

Gideon was still looking at her with shock, as he rolled out of bed. He stood up and stretched a bit, and then let out a long yawn as he scratched his head simultaneously.

“Ahem.”

Hermione was looking at him expectantly.

He stopped and looked at her in questioning.

“Yes?” He asked.

She smiled at him before she replied, “You forgot to give me a kiss before I leave.”

He couldn’t believe this sneaky little witch.

He shook his head, chuckling, and walked towards her with opened his arms, intending for her to jump up onto him. She understood the gesture and wrapped her arms around his neck as he grabbed the back of one leg and she jumped for him to catch the other. He held her in the air, as she was wrapped around him like a koala, and quickly sought out her lips. She gasped as soon as their lips touched.

His kiss was passionate, like Fabian’s, but just a little rougher. He nipped at her lips and squeezed the back of her ass. She wiggled in his arms as he let go of her and she stood unstably on the ground, still holding an arm to ground herself. She looked up at him shyly, and he smirked.

“Blimey, Gideon, it was just a goodbye kiss. You can ravage me a different time, but for now, you need to get ready, not get sidetracked! Meet me down in the dining room at 7:30, okay?”

He nodded and gazed at her with longing as she walked out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

After Hermione had opened three doors, she finally came into Rabastan’s room. Her happy mood was a little dampened when she opened the door.

Rabastan Lestrange made her nervous.

She wasn’t scared of him; it’s just that she wasn’t sure how to speak to him. So, when she had opened the door and saw him dressed in a robe, sitting in the bed propped up by silk pillows and a book in his hand, she felt a little more relieved. She held the door open but laid her hand on the wood and knocked twice to announce her presence. He raised his head up when she knocked and looked confused.

Once she saw that he wasn’t agitated with her, she slowly walked into the room and shut the door behind her. She looked at him and cleared her throat, “U-um good morning, Rabastan.”

His reply was a tilt of his head, and his brows pulling together.

“Hello?”

After he had said that, Hermione gave up her timid act. She couldn’t be bothered to worry about what he thought of her. She was happy this morning, and she wasn’t going to let him ruin it.

Once she had come to this conclusion, her body sagged and her head tipped forward. She let out a long breath, and then lifted her head again with a small smile on her face. She walked over to him and sat down at the edge of his bed, by his feet.

She waited for him to say something, but he continued to ignore her and read his book instead. She sighed and turned towards his body, and plucked the book from his hands, laying the book down on the page he was currently on. He opened his mouth to protest this, but she maneuvered her body behind his on the bed and pulled some of the pillows out of the way as she leaned against the bed frame, and placed her legs on each side of his body.

He sat there, frozen, and didn’t make any movement. Hermione could tell that he was confused and possibly angry, but she couldn’t be bothered with his negative mood. She brought her hands up to his long, dark-red hair and began to pull it behind so that it all rested gently against his back.

She combed her fingers through the ends of his hair and gathered the courage to bring her hands up to his scalp, to run her fingers through the thick locks. She saw the way that Regulus had reacted when she would run her hands through his hair and decided it wouldn’t hurt to try it with Rabastan, especially with the long length.

“You can relax, I’m not going to hurt you, you know. I’m just going to do your hair, is that alright with you?” She commented to him over his shoulder. A few seconds passed before she heard his low voice reply.

“Yes, I suppose that is fine.”

She smiled and hummed a confirmative sound as she continued to run her hands through his long, soft hair.

“Do you want me to tie it back?” She asked him after a few minutes.

Her thoughts flickered back to the way that Lucius had his hair tied back with a black satin ribbon, and wondered if Rabastan also styled his hair the same way. _Maybe it’s a pureblood thing or something?_

Hermione saw him shake his head, and she smiled. “I was sort of hoping that you would say no. I much prefer it down like you have it now. I’m kind of jealous of your straight hair though…” She mumbled a little at the end. Rabastan had heard her though, and she perked up when he let out a small huff.

“As you should be. My mother made absolutely sure that Rodolphus and I kept our hair in pristine condition, and I wouldn’t dare let it be anything less than perfect.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at his pompous reply. She began to run her fingers along his back, as she finished combing out his hair. She didn’t want this interaction to end already, not when he was finally speaking more than a few words to her.

“Do you miss them? Your mother and brother. Even your father?” She asked him quietly. She didn’t want to offend him, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t answer her question.

“Of course, I miss them. Mostly Rod... We were close when we were younger. He tried to protect me as often as he could, but it got harder the older that we got. My father, he was not a great man, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. He had told us from a young age that my brother and I were going to serve the Dark Lord. Naturally, we didn’t understand what that had fully entailed, as we were only children; but, he was the reason that my family ended up the way it did. When my brother married Bellatrix, my father had made sure to let us know that Rodolphus wasn’t to soil this chance we had been given, to merge together with the Black family. They were known as royalty in the wizarding world, and to unite both houses... It was a privilege. Rodolphus would do whatever his wife had wanted, and that led to quite a few problems. He was my older brother, so of course, I would follow after him. I had always looked up to Rod… Bella; she was never a normal witch. She was always mentally unstable, but that was just how the Black family was. They were known for their ruthlessness, and for their affiliation with the Dark Arts.”

Hermione nodded her head and was drawing circles on his back with the tip of her finger.

“I regret letting my brother, and I become something akin to slaves, under Bellatrix. But my brother, after awhile, he started becoming just like her. After the torture of the Longbottoms, that’s when I knew that I had lost him. I sat and watched them torture those two into insanity. They wouldn’t stop, and I just sat there. I had thrown around a Cruciatus curse or two, in the beginning, because that was our mission; but, Bella took it too far. By the time I had realized that I should have stopped them, we were being taken away by the Aurors. I don’t regret what I had done to the Longbottoms myself, but I do regret allowing my brother to take that final step into losing himself completely.”

Hermione knew that this was hard for him to speak about, and she was grateful that he had chosen to share this with her. She laid her forehead against his back and replied back to him.

“I know that this sounds cliche, but everyone makes mistakes, Rabastan. That’s why you’re here now. You have a second chance again, and this time there is no Dark Lord or Bellatrix. _You_ get to decide what you want to do, now. Well, outside of this whole marriage thing, but you understand what I mean... You’re safe now, Rabastan."

Hermione sighed as she continued on. "I know none of you probably enjoy hearing this, especially coming from a muggle-born witch, but I am determined to keep you all safe. I know that you can fight for yourself, but just know that I will always be there as back up. I won’t let this second chance go to waste. There is a reason why you were the one chosen to come back, Rabastan. You were the one worthy of a second chance. Out of all of the Lestrange men, the box picked you; that has to mean _something_." Hermione said this is a questioning manner, but she also sounded almost wistful in a way.

She wished that she knew everything that there was to know about those boxes. Hermione wanted to know why each wizard was chosen, and what made them different from everyone else. She wanted to know why she was able to bring back so many wizards at once... She craved to know everything. Shaking her head at her straying thoughts, she began to speak once more.

"I am willing to take on this responsibility. I am willing to be your wife and the mother of your children. Now it is up to you. Whether you are willing to let that happen or not, that is in your hands. I cannot make you do anything that you do not wish to do. If you do not want me to be here with you as your wife, then I will be here as your friend. Being around you all, it’s _different_... I don’t know how to explain it, but you don’t frighten me. You are not the scary death eater that I grew up fearing. You’re different now. Not by physical traits or anything like that, but in choices. Your choices are different now; that’s the biggest thing. You don’t need to serve under a master anymore. Really, the only thing you serve under is that bloody box." Hermione scoffed at the end of her sentence.

 _Stupid fucking boxes..._ Hermione said in her head mockingly. She sneered for a few seconds before she continued to speak to Rabastan.

"Listen, I don’t know if you want this second chance or not, but if you do, I will help you. I want to be close to all of you, and I want to make you all happy. _I_ want to be happy. So, maybe this is my second chance, too? Maybe this will be _my_ chance at happiness. I don’t know… I just… I want you to know that I forgive you. You might not want my forgiveness, but you ought to know that you have it, regardless. All I wish for is the same in return. I don’t want to be hated anymore. Not by you, not by Antonin, nor by Lucius or Draco, hell, not even by Professor Snape. I don’t want to be hated by the Slytherin children at Hogwarts just because of my blood, or because of what side I was on during the war. I’m just so tired of being hated. I mean, I’m used to it, but I’m getting more tired of it as time goes on."

Leaning her head to the side, so that her right cheek was resting on his back, she closed her eyes and let out a nervous breath.

"Rabastan, I know that you have done terrible things, and I know that you do not have many regrets, and that is okay. I understand that it is just how you are, alright? It’s how you’ve always been, and I am not going to attempt to reconstruct you into some saint. During the war, I did bad things too, and some of them I don’t regret… Back then, if I would have come across Antonin again, I would have killed him in a second, without thinking twice. It sounds absolutely wretched to say, but it's true. And I am not going to force you to believe in what I believe. But I know that there is _more_ to you. There is more to all of you, and I intend to discover it... Anyways, I just wanted you to know that, I guess. So, thank you, for listening to me ramble without laughing. Unless you’ve been silently laughing this whole time, then sod off.” Hermione laughed as she lifted her head away from his back.

It was as if a switch had gone off in Rabastan, and he suddenly stiffened back up and cleared his throat.

“Yes... Well. Perhaps, I think it is time that you leave.”

Hermione flashed a bitter smile and began to move back in front of him.

“Of course… Um, I originally came in here to let you know that we are going to go to Ollivander’s today, so you all can get new wands. So, please meet us down in the dining room at 7:30.”

Hermione went to turn around and leave before she stopped herself and faced back towards him. She began walking back towards him and gently grabbed one of his hands that he had laid on the bed. She brought his hand up to her face and gently kissed his knuckles. After doing that, she set his hand down and finally walked back to the door. Just as she opened the door, Hermione stopped to say one last thing.

“Rabastan... Thank you, for trusting me, and for telling me all of those things. I enjoyed speaking with you, a lot.”

Hermione didn’t look to see his facial expression; she just walked right out of the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned her body back against his door and took a deep breath.

_Okay, that was good, Hermione. You’ve made some progress._

She nodded to herself and walked further down and came to the doors that belonged to Evan’s room. She opened the door and realized that he was the bed was already empty, and there was steam coming from underneath the door to the bathroom. She conjured a piece of paper and started writing.

“ _Evan, Good morning! I decided to take everyone to get some wands today, so please meet me down in the dining room at 7:30, before we leave. -H._ ”

She eyed the paper and decided it was missing something. She moved further down the paper and continued writing.

“ _P.S. I will be expecting a good morning kiss before we depart. Don’t be late._ ” Hermione smiled and slid the note under the door.

A minute later, Hermione found herself standing in the room of Antonin Dolohov. He was dead asleep, laying on his stomach, with his hands trapped underneath his pillow. Hermione walked over and leaned over his back to tap on his shoulder to wake him up.

Before she even touched him, a hand came out and clamped around her wrist, pulling her into the bed underneath his hard body.

Hermione gasped and looked up at the smirking face of Antonin. She growled at him, “You arse! You were awake the whole time!”

He chuckled at this and continued his smirking. “Ah, nice try, _Myshka_. Now, not that I hate you in this _particular_ position, but what are you doing sneaking into my room so damn early?”

Hermione huffed and gave him a weak glare.

“I was coming to wake you up, arsehole. We’re getting wands today, and we’re going to meet in the dining room at 7:30 so we can go over a few things before we leave! Now, will you let go of my hands please!”

Antonin’s smirked widened and became mischievous.

“What will you do for me in return, _Myshka_? You were quite naughty the last time we were this close. You got away, remember? I can’t let that happen again, witch.”

Hermione started trying to wiggle out of his hands, but it was no use. He was holding her arms down onto the pillow that was under her head and was pushing his lower body between her knees to keep her from escaping.

“Fine, what do you want? Name your price, _Dorogoy_. Within reason please, we’re on a schedule. 5 minutes tops, Dolohov.” She smiled at him in a teasing manner as she said this.

Antonin’s eyes looked ten times darker as he leaned towards her and brushed his nose against hers.

_Gods, why does it always feel so intense when I am around him… It’s like the moment we touch, I completely melt._

Hermione waited in excitement for him to kiss her when he suddenly turned his head away from her and dropped his face to her neck instead. The stubble from his face tickled against her soft skin, and she whimpered when he started pressing hard kisses on her sensitive skin.

“5 minutes? How about I return the favor, hm? You know, the one you gave me yesterday.” Her eyes widened in recognization, and she felt her heart rate speed up.

“Let’s see… I think I want to taste you. But, then again, I’m not too sure you deserve that. I think I’ll use my fingers for this morning, what do you think?” He whispered this into her neck, and she nodded her head frantically.

Antonin smiled when he saw her getting so worked up, and let go of one arm, only to grab both of hers with just one hand. Now he had one hand free, and he brought it up to her mouth.

“Lick.” He commanded her in a deep voice.

Hermione complied and began sucking his middle finger with eagerness. Antonin was starting to feel the effects of this in his briefs, and quickly pulled his finger from her mouth.

_It’s payback time._

Antonin spread apart her legs and lifted the hem of her dress. He quickly slipped his finger inside of her knickers, and he could feel that she was already wet. He chuckled at her body’s response to him and began to circle his finger against her clit.

Hermione was moaning quietly through her breaths and felt her hips jerk when he slipped his large finger inside of her. He curled his finger upwards and began to thrust his hand rapidly. Hermione was bucking her body at this point, and he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“Does it feel good? Are you going to come, _Myshka_? I can feel your sweet little pussy tightening around my finger.”

Hermione was nodding her head, and her moans were building up. “Yes! Fuck, yes, Antonin… I’m gonna come!”

Right as she said this, he pulled his finger out and cupped her mound with his hand. She tried to grind against it, but he pressed his elbow hard against her waist.

“Aw, isn’t that too bad? It looks like our time is up, Myshka. Don’t worry; there will always be a _next time_ , isn’t that right?” He smirked so intensely as he said this, making Hermione want to scream out in frustration.

She growled and tried to buck her body out from under him, and he rolled over next to her to let her go. Hermione got up and righted her dress, before she turned towards his face, leaned down, gave him a rough kiss, and then slammed his door shut. Dolohov let out a bellowed laugh.

 _Payback really is a bitch,_ Antonin laughed to himself.

 

* * *

 

The angry witch stomped down the hall right up to the last room. She stopped herself from barging in and calmed herself down, taking slow, deep breaths.

Hermione didn’t know how to approach Sirius after what had happened at dinner last night.

She knew that he would be feeling guilty about what he said, and he _should_ feel guilty. He had crossed the line, and Hermione wasn’t going to let him off the hook so quickly. As much as she wanted to stop fighting with him, Sirius needed to figure himself out first.

Keeping this in mind, Hermione opened the door to his room.

Sirius was sprawled out on his back, with one of the sheets wrapped around his leg, and pillows were thrown on the ground. He had a hand laying on his bare stomach, and the other hand was over his head. Sirius was snoring, and Hermione couldn’t stop herself from letting out a small laugh at the sight of him. He was indeed a mess, but it was honestly quite fitting for him.

Hermione felt her heart melt a little when she looked at him. She had missed him so much, and now he was here right in front of her.

_No, Hermione… We can say we miss him all we want, but we’re still mad at him…_

Hermione sighed as she walked over to his bed and stood directly beside him; not on the bed with him, and not even touching him. Just standing at his bedside.

“Sirius, wake up.” She said in a normal tone, though she didn’t sound the most friendly.

She heard him snort in awakening, as his hand came down from his head, and went to rub at his tired eyes. Letting out a massive yawn, his voice cracked when he began to speak.

“‘Mione? Is everything okay?” He asked in genuine worry, as he sat up and turned his head to look at her.

“Yeah, Sirius, I’m fine. I just came to wake you up so that you can start getting ready; we’re going to get you all new wands at 8, and we’re meeting in the dining room at 7:30. I’ll see you down there.”

“Princess, wait. Listen, about yesterday... I am so sorry. I really didn’t mean it, I was just angry and shocked, and I shouldn’t have taken my feelings out on you like I did. Please forgive me ‘Mione. I just got you back; I don’t want to lose you again.”

Hermione could sense the guilt in his words, but even that couldn’t sway her to forgive him.

“Listen, Sirius, I appreciate the apology… But, I can’t forgive you just yet. Last night, what you said was… It was heartbreaking. When I woke up on the basement floor yesterday, wrapped in your arms, I was so glad. Not just for Harry and everyone else, but for me as well. I thought that you would be my biggest supporter, out of all the other guys. I expected it, especially because I already knew you so well. I needed you to be there to help me… But you weren’t. When Ginny started yelling at me, you just sat there Sirius. You didn’t even stop her, and then you went on to tell me that Ginny was right about what she said. It felt like a piece of my heart had gotten torn out when you said that to me. I thought that I meant something to you… I mean, you snogged me against the wall, and basically confessed your feelings to me before you had gone to see Harry. But then you practically ignored me for the rest of the night. Did any of it even mean _anything?_ "

Sirius was at a loss for words when she had pointed out all of the things that he had done; only amplifying the guilt that he felt by a ten-fold. The wizard braced himself for more, as he watched Hermione's lips begin to move.

"I will not be treated like some random witch that you just wanted to shag for the fun of it, only to dump her the next day. Do you even realize how degrading that is?! How humiliated I felt?! I was standing there in that kitchen, waiting for you to jump in and save me, and you did NOTHING. I know damn well that you were raised to respect women, Sirius Black. How sad is it, that your little brother can uphold this belief, and you cannot. I know your family life was shite, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to treat everyone else like scum, and only think about yourself. Regulus _died_ because you refused to acknowledge his existence! The Sirius I heard so much about was loyal and brave. But where was your loyalty when you got kicked out and left your little brother to rot away in that house all alone? You never even sent a letter, nor did you associate with him in school either. Did you even care when he died? And how dare you preach to Harry about how 'the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters,' when you lived your entire life believing that it was!”

Sirius was angry at this point and retorted back in a raised voice. “Of course I cared when Reggie died!! He’s my bloody brother, Hermione!”

“THEN START ACTING LIKE IT!" Hermione screamed. "You’re so stuck in the damn past that you don’t even realize what you have right in front of you. Until you figure that out, I’d prefer if you’d leave me in peace.” Hermione said in a hard voice, as she turned around to leave the room.

With her hand on the door handle, she looked deeply at Sirius, and a sinister smirk stretched across her face. “Oh yes, I almost forgot. The next time you try and cross me, you will hear much more than you did last night. I only let you hear what _I_ wanted you to hear… Imagine being able to hear _everything_. Did you really believe that I would forget to put up a silencing charm? I’m the brightest witch of her age, Sirius.”

Sirius sat rigidly on his bed, with his mouth open in shock, and silently fuming on the inside.

_That fucking witch..._

 

* * *

 

“Elf?” Hermione called out. The little elf that had been helping her the past few times had popped up again right in front of her.

“Yes, Missy Hermione?” Hermione smiled at this and bent down in front of the little elf.

“I’m sorry, I was wondering if you could show me to the dining room? I’m still not sure where everything is in the manor; it’s so large! But before that, would you mind telling me your name? I would like to call you by that from now on if that is alright with you.”

The little elf smiled at this and clapped her hands as she jumped up and down a few times. “Oh yes!! I’s Tillie. Missy Hermione can calls me Tillie please!”

Hermione nodded her head and held out her hand for the little elf to shake. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Tillie. Thank you for helping me.”

The elf’s ears flopped back and forth as it nodded, and gently grabbed Hermione’s hand to begin leading her towards the dining room. As they walked, Hermione was struck by how grand and elegant the manor really was.

At some point, Tillie had taken Hermione past a wall that was filled with portraits of various men and women. Most of the women looked at Hermione with disgust, though it seemed that the men did not agree. Of course, there were a few who had sneers on their face as she walked by, but that was to be expected. It seemed that the longer she walked, the newer the portraits had looked.

She finally made it to a man who she assumed was Evan’s father. He seemed to wear the same appraising look that his son wore many times.

“You. What is your name?”

Hermione stopped and turned back around to see the portrait of Evan's father waiting for her reply. He was sitting in a gaudy chair that looked to be placed inside his study, as there were a desk and a fireplace behind him. He sat on the chair wearing all black robes, and his hair was a little darker than Evan’s was. He had his hands clasped together in his lap, and had one leg crossed over the other; resting on top of a knee. His eyes were the same light blue as his son’s.

Hermione finished her evaluation of the man and faced him head-on with a confident demeanor.

“Hermione Granger. I presume you are Evan’s father?”

The portraits around her seemed to all awaken and were watching the exchange with stupor.

“You presume correctly. Granger, you say? I don’t think I have heard of a Granger before…”

Hermione knew that her impending reply would stir some reactions. “I wouldn’t expect for you to have heard my name before, as I am a muggle-born witch.”

The wall behind her, which held all of the females, seemed to either gasp or make noises of questioning. The older men in the family looked at her with raised brows, and the younger wizards seemed to turn up their noses at her.

“Ah, a mudblood, you say? How curious… What, may I ask, are you doing here, in my home, Miss Granger?”

Hermione smirked at this and began her retort.

“What a lovely question, Sir. Though I must correct you, as this is no longer your home; considering that you are, well, dead.” Hermione took a step closer to the painting and crossed her arms over her chest. “But, you haven’t heard? I opened your box. I brought your son back from where you reside, so, _unfortunately_ , right now.”

The man in front of her looked as if he’d been hit with a stunner, and she heard a laugh towards the beginning of the corridor. Everything went silent when the laughter had sounded out, and Hermione tilted her head.

“Bravo, witch. I must say, I was not confident that it would ever be opened. Come, little witch. Let me have a look at you. The woman who opened my own box.”

Hermione looked down at the elf who had been standing next to her this whole time, silently watching the scene play out. Tillie nodded at her to listen to the man, and Hermione began walking back.

She came upon a man who had hair that was a dark black color; though, he still held the same blue eyes that all of the Rosier men had.  
“I must admit, there are a lot worse witches out there… Yes, you will do, I suppose. The question that we all are asking ourselves is what exactly makes you special, Miss Granger? You do not appear to have any significant characteristics... “

Hermione’s annoyance spiked when the old wizard had said this, and she took a step back so that she could eye the majority of the men on the wall in front of her.

“Is that so? I truly apologize, Sir. Unfortunately, I do not adorn the dark hair of the notorious Black family, nor do I have the bleach-blonde hair that the Malfoy family has. You’ll have to forgive me for my ‘filthy’ blood, as your extended family members so often love to ridicule me for.”

She zoned her eyes in on Evan’s father specifically and leered at him.

“Tell me, did you enjoy doing the Dark Lord’s bidding? Did you dirty your knees as you bent over to kiss the bottom of his robes? You were there when he was just Tom Riddle. Am I correct?”

The wizard looked as if he were about to jump out of his frame and strangle her right there on the floor. The other men sat there with furrowed brows.

“You dare speak my Lord’s name?!”

Hermione smirked at this and then turned to the older wizards. “You know of Lord Voldemort, do you not? I assumed word had gotten around in this house… Surely, you are all aware of the wizard that your second to last heir had so mercifully worshipped?”

The men slowly nodded in their pictures, and Hermione turned back towards the malicious man.

“Tom Marvolo Riddle, Half-blood. Heir of Salazar Slytherin, on his mother’s side. His mother, Merope Gaunt, used a love potion on a Muggle named Tom Riddle Sr. He did not love her; in fact, he actually wanted _nothing_ to do with her. This did not matter though, as Miss Gaunt became pregnant with his child. A child, whom Tom Riddle Sr. wanted nothing to do with. Merope eventually went into labor in an orphanage. There, she gave birth to Tom Marvolo Riddle. His mother died while giving birth, and Tom grew up within the walls of the very same orphanage that he was born. He eventually came to Hogwarts, and of course, was sorted into the Slytherin house. This was where you met him, Rosier. Where you assisted in the murder of a young girl named Myrtle Warren; when Tom Riddle had let out a basilisk that only he could command, in the chamber of secrets.”

The wizard was sitting as still as a board, and Hermione wanted to laugh. “He covered it up so well, didn’t he? No one suspected any of you of murder, though you _did_ commit it. I saw the memory, you know. Of Tom and his ‘Knights’ gathered together in a ridiculous Slug-Club meeting. You were there, Rosier. I watched you, as you followed every order that the young boy had given you all. Were you aware of his Horcruxes?” Rosier looked shocked as he nodded his head.

The other wizards around him looked scandalized at what they were hearing.

“He originally had six. But, what the ignorant man didn’t know, was that he had unintentionally created a seventh. This unknown seventh Horcrux, was my best friend, Harry Potter. In the end, Harry defeated your precious Lord Voldemort. So, now you know. He is dead. I helped Harry kill Tom Riddle. I outwitted him many times. But, what I am intrigued by the most, is the fact that you basically sold your son to the Dark Lord. You know he died, all because you forced him to become a Death Eater. But, _I_ am the one who brought your son back, you blithering idiot. Not _only_ your son but six other wizards as well. I am the only person who can help your son carry on the Rosier name, as you lay rotting in your grave.”

At this, Hermione took a step back so that she looked at everyone once again. “Now tell me, Gentleman, can you still not find even one thing about me that might be special?”

The men looked at her, aghast at what she had said.

“If you’ll excuse me, I must meet with my _husbands,_ ” Hermione smirked and turned back around to begin walking to the kitchen once again.

But, she stopped and looked at the opposite wall where all of the women were sitting in shock. She slowly walked towards the form of Druella Black and lifted her hand that held her wand.

“Druella Black, how wonderful it is to meet you. As you know, I am in a bit of a rush, but I simply couldn’t help myself; I needed to speak with you. I was wondering, if, the next time that you see your splendid daughter Bellatrix down in Hell, perhaps you could you give her my thanks for her wand? It’s almost as good as my original one, though I, unfortunately, had to part with it. But, now I have this one, given to me- well, actually, I _stole_ it from her… But, as I was saying; now I have this wand instead, and I have to say, it is quite a nice fit. Wouldn’t you agree?” She smirked at the woman.

The lady seemed to be speechless, and Hermione smirked as she noticed this.

“Good day, Madam Black.”

Hermione waved at the appalled face of Druella and took Tillie’s hand a second time as they finally left the hallway. The rest of the walk was silent until they had finally made it to the doors of the kitchen where Hermione could hear the wizards talking on the other side. She looked down at Tillie and gave her a small pat on the head.

“Thank you, Tillie. I will be sure to call you if I need anything.”

Tillie left with a smile, and Hermione placed her hands on the doors and pushed them open. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw the space that was left at the head of the table on the opposite end.

She sat down and began to speak.

“I apologize for being late. I was distracted on my way here for a short while. Anyways, we'll leave now so we can get you all some new wands. We will floo to Ollivanders, and my friend Luna Longbottom will be the one helping us out. If any of you say something rude to her, I promise you that it will not end well. She is a lovely girl, although she is also a little eccentric. Just a warning before you all meet her; she will say things sometimes that will not make any sense. Just nod your head and agree, okay? She is a very close friend, and you should all be thankful that she is going out of her way to help us with this. Now, Sirius, will you go through first? You already know her, so I think it would be best for you to be the first one that she sees. The rest of you can follow after Sirius; it does not matter what the order is.”

All seven wizards nodded their heads at her, and they all stood up and began to make their way into the living room. Hermione held out the bag of powder for Sirius as he took a handful and disappeared. Antonin went next, followed by Regulus. Then Fabian and Gideon left, along with Rabastan as well.

Evan was the last of the wizards to leave, and before he grabbed any floo powder, he sauntered close to Hermione, and she smiled when she realized what he was doing.

“Is it time for my good morning kiss now?” Hermione asked in an amused tone.

Evan smirked at her and nodded before he leaned his head down so that their lips pressed hard against each other. The kiss was long and hard, making Hermione gasp out when he pulled away.

He moved his head towards her ear as he whispered to her, “Next time I’m in the shower, feel free to join in, kitten.”

Evan quickly nipped at her neck, and she giggled at the feeling. He looked at her with a genuine smile on his face and left in a flurry of flames.

Hermione followed after him, and she found herself being guided out of the floo by a smooth hand. She quickly looked up to see Rabastan holding her hand and helping her step out from the fireplace. Hermione was surprised at his gesture, though all she did was give him a broad smile and squeeze his hand in thanks. Rabastan nodded his head when she did this and released her. All of the wizards were waiting in front of the counter, and they parted as Hermione walked to the front.

Standing behind the desk was Luna, with her perfect bright blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore pale pink overalls, with a blue and white patterned shirt underneath. The overalls were rolled at the ankles showing a pair of mismatched socks, with no shoes. Hanging from her ears were two red cherries, that swung back and forth each time the girl moved. Hermione couldn’t help but smile at how little the girl had changed.

“Hello, Hermione. You look quite different from the last time that I saw you. I suspect it’s the undead corpses that are standing behind you right now.”

Hermione laughed and leaned over the counter to hug her. “Yes, you must be right, Luna. Thank you for helping me out today. We all really appreciate it.”

Luna looked dazedly around the room and nodded her head at each wizard. “You’re welcome, Hermione. I'm sensing that we should begin now. You, Mr. Dolohov. Please come forward.”

Antonin looked a little put-off, but shrugged his shoulders and walked forward anyways. Luna looked at him in questioning, and then her pale eyes began to gaze into the air surrounding the top of his head. She murmured affirmatives to herself under her breath, and Hermione looked over to the wizards to see their confused faces. She caught their eyes and gave them a hard look before she schooled her features into a smile.

“Yes, yes. I believe you are right… Here.”

Antonin started to reach towards the wand, but Hermione stopped him before he could pick up it up. She turned to look at all of the other men and began to speak. “I forgot to tell you all, but picking wands is much different than it was before. Luna has a special sense, that will guide her to which wand is the perfect one for you. You will not need to try multiple different wands, anymore. The one that she gives you will be your final wand.”

Antonin and everyone else nodded at her and then watched as the wizard grabbed the wand that Luna had set out in front of him.

“The wood is Red Oak. The true match for a red oak wand is possessed of unusually fast reactions, which makes it a perfect wand for dueling. Its ideal master has a light touch, they are quick-witted and adaptable, and they are often the creator of distinctive, trademark spells, making them a good man or woman to have beside someone in a fight. Now onto the core of the wand. Your core is a Dragon Heartstring. This particular core tends to produce wands with the most power, and are capable of the most flamboyant spells. They aim to learn more quickly than other core types, and it also tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts. Another characteristic of the Dragon heartstring is that it is the most prone to accidents, making it, unfortunately, somewhat temperamental. The length of the wand is 12 inches, though wand lengths don’t really tell anything critical about the person who wields it. Finally, the flexibility of your wand is unyielding; meaning that, like your wand, you are set in your ways and will never change. Although, personally, I believe that anyone can change, despite what their wand says about them.” Luna finished off speaking, and Antonin finally curled his fingers around his new wand. The wand gave the signature glow before Luna chose the next person.

She pointed to Gideon, and within a minute she had grabbed his wand.

“Ah, here we are. The wood is Applewood. These types of wands are powerful and are best suited to an owner of high aims and ideals. This wood mixes poorly with Dark Magic, but of course, it is not entirely impossible to perform that sort of magic or attempt it at the very least. Those who have a sense of great personal charm find their perfect match in an applewood wand. Unsurprisingly, the core of this wand is Unicorn tail hair. You see, Unicorn hair produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. The Length is nine ¾ inch, with pliable flexibility, indicating that you still have a strong connection to your childish ways, or who you used to be, but you have also matured since then.” Gideon smiled as he held his wand, and quickly walked over to his brother to show it off. Fabian rolled his eyes at his brother's antics.

Rabastan was next, and he stiffly walked up to the desk. Luna's soft voice was a complete contrast compared to the way the way that Rabastan was acting. “Your wand is Elmwood. Elm wands prefer owners with presence, magical skill, and certain native dignity. Of all wand woods, elm produces the fewest accidents, the least foolish errors, and the most elegant charms and spells. These are sophisticated wands, capable of highly advanced magic, when in the right hands. Which, again, makes it highly desirable to those who support the pure-blood philosophy. The core is made of Doxy wings. Doxy wings, like the creatures they come from, can be unmanageable and mean-spirited. They are second, only to Basilisk wands, in their abilities with the Dark Arts, and as such, these rare wands are most often found in the hands of stubborn Slytherins without the familial connection to obtain a basilisk core. Ten ¾ inches is the length of your wand, as well as obtaining stiff flexibility, showing that you are very strong and secure. You are not afraid to say no, or to speak your mind.”

Rabastan gave Luna a polite nod, and quickly pocketed his wand, catching Hermione's eye as he turned back around. She gave him a short smile, and he made no indication that it had affected him, though Hermione could see that his rigid form seemed to relax very slightly.

“The second twin, it's your turn now,” Luna said, making Fabian glare a little at her name for him. Luna walked to the back of the shop pulling out a wand, and then she set it in the box right in front of him.

“Your wand is made out of Blue Spruce wood. The difference between Blue Spruce wood, compared to the silly, old, common Spruce, is that a witch or wizard with a strong personality can coax more out of a blue spruce wand than a spruce one. Regular spruce is a strong wood that excels in everything except the Dark Arts, but someone who carries a Blue Spruce wand could ‘push the boundaries’ shall we say. I expected you and your brother to share at least one wand characteristic, and that seems to be the cores of Unicorn tail hair. I have already explained the meaning of this specific core, so I do hope that I will not need to repeat it. Will I?” Fabian shook his head at the forwardness of the odd witch and watched as she began to finish off with him and his wand.

“The length is 10 inches, and it has pleasantly springy flexibility; springy as in resilient, the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity, and graceful or 'charming' in other words. Well, go on, take your wand.” Fabian nodded rapidly and cradled his new wand; his eyes were glittering in awe.

Luna pointed to Evan next, and he carelessly walked forward.

“Your wood is Ashwood. Ash is stubborn, and those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. It is definitely not a wand for the brash or over-confident. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant. Moving on, your core is Thestral tail hair. Thestral wands generally produce strong magic, but only when the wielder understands themselves. If they do not know themselves, or if they lose themselves, then their spells will suffer greatly. When the wielder does, in fact, know themselves, then this wand can create powerful spells. The Thestral wands work very well for Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. The wands are very temperamental and rare to find with wizards and witches of today. Length is 11 ½ inches, and pliable flexibility, though I think this has less to do with your connection with the past, it has more to do with how much you have changed.” Evan seemed surprised at the wand that he had clenched tightly in his hand, but the look of surprise only lasted a fraction of a second before the wizard was back to his calm exterior.

Hermione watched silently as Sirius was called forward by Luna. He looked excited, and Hermione was instantly reminded of the previous day when he was prancing up the stairs at her old house, like a little puppy.

“Hello, Sirius. It’s good to see you. Considering that the last time I saw you, you were falling into the veil towards your imminent death… It was terrible, really. Although, it did seem like quite an easy death, wouldn’t you agree?” Luna said as she turned around to grab yet another box from one of the many shelves.

Sirius looked at Luna with a sour face, and he cleared his throat as he began to reply in a hesitant tone. “Um, yes, I suppose so…”

Luna ignored Sirius' reply and promptly began to explain everything about the wand that she had picked for him.

“So, Sirius, your wand is made out of Ebony wood. The jet-black wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manners of combative magic, and also to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hands of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently, non-conformist, highly individual - or comfortable with the status of an outsider - ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix, and additionally amongst Death Eaters. In my experience, the ebony wand’s perfect match is someone who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose. Your core is made of Billywig stingers, which is not common, considering that the creature itself resides in Australia, rather than Britain. Billywig wands bond exclusively with light-hearted pranksters, no surprise there, and are extremely capricious and erratic. Onto the length, which is 11 ¾ inches. This wand has pliable flexibility, which, as I mentioned before, shows that you still have a strong connection to your past self, but you are also prone to change and maturation.”

Sirius smiled charmingly and reached over the desk grabbing Luna’s pale, dainty hand, pressing his lips lightly to the back of it. “Thank you, Mrs. Longbottom. It’s been a pleasure.”

He gave her a small wink, as he sauntered back to his original place beside all of the other wizards.

“Hmm, yes… Regulus Black. You are the final recipient today.” Regulus nodded slowly at this and walked up to Luna with a nervous look on his face. Hermione gave him a smile of reassurance when he turned to look back at her. Luna then came up to the desk with his new wand laying inside both of her hands.

“Interesting… The wood of this wand is Cypress. Cypress wands are associated with nobility. Geraint Ollivander, a wandmaker in the medieval times, wrote that he was always honored to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death. Wands of cypress find their match amongst the brave, and the self-sacrificing: those who are unafraid to confront the shadows in their own, and others’ natures. What is truly extraordinary is the core of this wand, a Phoenix tail feather. This is the rarest core type, you see. This core is capable of the most significant range of magic, though it may take longer to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners; for the creature from which they are taken, is one of the most independent and detached in the world. The length is 11 inches, with reasonably pliable flexibility. Indicating that the witch or wizard is compliant, but as he or she gets older, they start to mature. They begin to see that what they are doing and what they stand for is wrong. That is quite a rare hugged them you have there, Mr. Black.” Luna looked at Regulus with a small smile, and Regulus stood there, frozen, staring down at his wand.

He didn’t touch it; he was utterly motionless.

Hermione could feel his hesitation and anxiety through the bond, so she walked up to him and grabbed his left hand. Giving it a short squeeze, she leaned forward to speak in a low voice to the wizard standing beside her.

“Luna is right, Regulus. That wand chose you because you are worthy of it. This is not a wand that easily chooses someone to be their master, yet this wand picked you. So, take the wand, Regulus. It will be okay, I promise.”

Regulus seemed to rid himself of his negative thoughts once he listened to what Hermione had said, and extended a shaky hand towards the wand. As he picked it up, it glowed brightly, even more, compared to everyone else's, and Hermione smiled. She squeezed his hand once again and looked up at him in adoration.

Regulus had a look of wonder on his face, as he whispered to her, not willing to take his eyes off of the wand just yet.

“Thank you, Hermione. For doing this.”

Hermione nodded and raised up slightly on her toes, to peck him on the cheek. She then turned back to Luna with a big smile and began to thank her.

“I can’t thank you enough Luna. This really means a lot, to them all.” Hermione said in a quiet voice so that only the other woman could hear. “Let’s have tea sometime soon, alright? I haven’t seen you and Neville in a few months, and I miss you both.”

Luna smiled and nodded. “Of course Hermione. Have a good day with your wizards. They are most fortunate to have you.”

Hermione felt her face heat up a little at this and quickly motioned for the men to start leaving the shop.

Once they all had arrived into the living room of the manor, Hermione began to speak before they all set off to their respected places.

“Thank you all for coming with me and doing that. Now, I am going to go and send off a few letters that need to be written. Fabian and Gideon, would you like me to join you both when you go to Molly’s, or would you prefer to go by yourselves?”

The twins looked at each other and seemed to be conversing silently with their odd twin telepathy before Gideon replied.

“We think we’re gonna go by ourselves, at least for the first time. I’m not sure how Molly will react, and my best guess is a lot of tears, and then probably some yelling. We’d better handle her on our own first, but thank you for the offer, beautiful.”

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. “No problem. Good luck you two.”

Hermione walked over to each of them and gave them a hug before they turned back to the floo and left.

Hermione then looked at Sirius, and she didn’t even have to speak before he nodded his head at her in confirmation.

“Yeah, I’m going to head over to Harry’s right now. I will see you later, Princess.”

Hermione made no move to go anywhere near him, so he just dejectedly left with slumped shoulders.

Slowly she turned back around towards the other four wizards. “I’m just going to go write those letters now. I will come and find you guys when I’m finished, does that sound okay? If any of you need me, just come to my room.”

The wizards nodded, and she quickly scurried away from them, before she turned the corner and called out Tillie’s name.

“Hello, Missy Hermione!”

“Hello, Tillie, could you show me to a room for myself, and also get me some parchment and a quill? Oh, and, if you could bring me an owl, that would be great too! Sorry, there’s so much... “

Tillie didn’t let Hermione finish as she grabbed her hand and apparated her into a lavish room that looked completely different from the other bedrooms; this one had a big desk in the room, including a giant shelf filled hundreds of books.

Hermione was staring at the books with an open mouth, practically drooling, until she heard Tillie begin to speak in her squeaky voice.

“Master Evan tolds me to puts in books for Missy Hermione!”

Hermione looked towards the little elf with wide eyes and suddenly bent down to hug her. “Thank you very much, Tillie, I love it. I will make sure to give Master Evan my thanks, as well.”

Tillie hugged her back before she popped away from her arms.

Now alone, Hermione went to sit at the desk that had parchment and ink sitting in the middle of it, and two elegant quills laying in a drawer.

Hermione took everything out and began to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to upload this last night, but I lost track of time and never got around to it until later tonight. So, here is chapter 11! It's the longest chapter out of all of the ones so far. I have thought about a lot of reviewer's thoughts on Sirius and decided that I would make him earn Hermione's respect back, instead of just forgiving him right away. Luna is a very tough character to write, and I found myself struggling with capturing her playful personality, so I decided to give her a stronger personality, where she is very straightforward and says things no matter what others may think. I am still debating on the consummation order, so if anyone else wants to comment their thoughts, then please do so, it would be a huge help! SO... The reason that I was so late with all of this was that I was fixing up the website that I was making picture collages on, for this story. I finally have finished it though, and will add on to it as we get introduced to new characters and such. Here is the link: https://www.pinterest.com/emmahanson465/ 
> 
> I also apologize that it's on Pinterest because I know how fucking annoying it is to have to own an account in order to see things, but it was the most comfortable platform for me to do all of this with, so I apologize if you have to sign up for an account in order to see the pictures. Also, for Fabian and Gideon, I used an image of the actors who play Fred and George in the movie as my inspiration. Obviously Fabian and Gideon are older than the twins, but I couldn't find any pictures of a pair of red-headed twins that I really liked, so I just used Fred and George instead, sorry! Of course, everyone imagines a character in their own way, so please do not get pissed at me if the character pictures that I have posted are not what you personally like. It's just how I pictured each character while I was writing this, and you do not need to abide by what I think regarding visualizing the characters. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!


	12. Chapter 12

After Hermione had sent out the letters, she decided to take a small nap. She was still a little tired from last night, and from how early she awoke this morning. _Especially_ , from last night.

Two hours later she woke to the sound of an owl pecking at her window. Hermione walked over to the creature and grabbed the letter from its mouth. Noticing that the owl was still there, she looked at it oddly.

“What could you possibly need Mr. Owl? Am I supposed to read the letter in front of you so that you can watch…? I mean it’s not the first time that I have had to do that, but still, usually, I just give them- Oh! How could I be so stupid?! Hold on, Mr. Owl.” Hermione rushed around her room looking for something, only to come up empty. Drawing her brows together, she paced back and forth. All at once, she stopped moving and turned around.

“Tillie! Could you bring me an owl treat please?” A second later the house elf popped in with a jar filled with treats. Hermione smiled and looked at the little elf just before Tillie popped away.

“Thank you!” She yelled out.

Hermione grabbed a treat from the small jar and shuffled over to the white owl perched on her windowsill. “Sorry, I’ve had a bit of a long day… Well, a long few days if we are being honest. I'm sure you understand, don’t you?” Hermione held out her hand that held a treat in it and watched as the owl moved forward to eat it.

“Don’t you get tired of flying all of the time? I don’t fancy flying, myself. People should stay on the ground; we are not meant to be in the air like that! The exception would be Anamagi or an aeroplane. It is a muggle contraption; though I'm sure you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about, you’re an owl.”

_Wait, why am I trying to have a proper conversation with a bloody owl?!_

The owl seemed to agree with Hermione’s thoughts, and ate the treat as quickly as possible, and flapped its pale wings as it left. _Well, I guess that means I don’t need to reply back to this letter then… Now, what is my excuse for indulging my thoughts to an owl like a nut case... Nevermind this; we will just pretend like it never happened._

“Right. Okay, onto the letter…” Hermione mumbled to herself quietly.

She moved over to sit at the edge of her bed as she carefully broke open the green seal to the letter, and began to read refined cursive.

**" _Granger,_**

**_I must admit, I was quite shocked when I received your letter. At first, I thought it was a prank by some of plentiful ‘non-admirers.’ Nevertheless, I will oblige to this somewhat spontaneous meeting. I am available to be at your office within the hour. Listen, Granger; you better make this worth my while. I do not do things like this often, so don’t make me regret it._ **

**_Signed,_ **

**_Draco Lucius Malfoy"_ **

Hermione let out a deep breath at the letter. _Well, that was rather blunt… Okay, this will be fine. He does not seem angry, or else he wouldn’t have agreed to meet, right? This is a good idea Hermione, do not fool yourself out of doing it._

Hermione closed her eyes as she debated on whether she should go through with her plan or not. This would be helpful for multiple people, though…

_Fuck, I'll do it._

With that decided, Hermione touched up her straying hair that had fallen out of her bun when she had nodded off. Once she looked decent, she apparated herself to her office. The wards of the Rosier manor recognized her as family, so she was able to apparate in and out of the house, should she choose to.

Hermione’s office was quiet as she sat down in her chair. She wondered if maybe now was the time for her to take up that apprenticeship with Minerva… She had gotten a taste of the Ministry life, and even this field of work ended up making her life the opposite of the calm that she had wanted it to be. What was the difference if she chose to now work at Hogwarts? Granted, she would have to tell Minerva about everything… She wondered if she needed to have a proper wedding? She didn’t know how purebloods worked…

_They better not make me change my last name, there’s absolutely no fucking way I am doing that._

If she married just one wizard, would she? Yes. However, seven wizards? Definitely not.

_How would we even choose a last name? Oh Gods, what if they made me hyphenate all five names with my own…_

Three loud knocks on the door to her office nudged her out of her thoughts. Hermione stood up nervously, walked over to the door, and opened it to greet Draco Malfoy in all of his 'glory.'

She hadn't seen him since his trial… Of course, she had seen him on magazine covers and news articles, but she hadn’t spoken to him since the war. She had testified for him in the Wizengamot, but they had never talked to each other besides that.

Clearing her throat, she spoke in a faux confident tone. “Malfoy, thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.” Hermione motioned towards the chairs.

The bright blonde wizard gave the chairs the same disgusted look as his father had done before. Hermione had to laugh a little to herself at this.

_Like father, like son._

Draco quietly sat down in one of the small chairs as Hermione sat down into hers, crossing her legs and clasping her hands together on top of the desk.

Hermione watched warily as Draco looked her up and down, and she could have sworn that he seemed almost shocked for a second.

“You look _surprisingly_ well, Granger.” The blonde wizard spoke in a stunned voice. 

Hermione stammered at this, unsure of how to respond to his statement. “Uh… Um, thank you, Malfoy,” Hermione ended awkwardly, and Draco began to chuckle.

“Calm down Granger; I have a wife and a kid. I am just saying that you have finally grown into your bushy hair, amongst _other things_ , of course.” He said this with a tone of joking at the hair comment.

Hermione was too shocked by what he had just revealed, to even pay attention to his comment. “You are married? With a _real_ child?”

Draco looked incredulously at her and then sighed out. “Look, I know it’s surprising to think about, but yes I am married. Granted, it was a betrothal contract, but we do love each other.”

Hermione wanted to know who he was married to, so badly, but she didn’t know if she was pushing it by asking. Draco noticed her hard look and spoke before she could even ask.

“I am married to Astoria Greengrass; Daphne’s little sister. And, yes, my son _is_ real, Granger. His name is Scorpius; he's two years old. Want to see a picture?” Draco asked in a hopeful voice.

Hermione was shocked that Malfoy was so enthusiastic about showing her a picture of his son, though she assumed it was the ‘fatherly pride’ in him that was peeking through. Hermione nodded in reply and Draco took out a small picture from a pocket on the inside of his pressed robes, and handed it to her. Hermione let a smile take over her face as she looked at the little boy in the photo. He was standing on the grass with a small smile gracing his pale face.

“He looks just like you, Malfoy,” Hermione giggled at the cute little Malfoy Jr.

“Of course he does, Granger. He is _my_ son.” Hermione rolled her eyes at this and got serious.

“Listen, Malfoy, the reason I asked to meet with you today is that I wanted to apologize for some things.”

Draco looked confused at this. “Why would you apologize? If anything, I sho-”

Hermione held up her hand to stop him from speaking.

“I know, but just listen, okay? I wanted to apologize for not helping you in school. What I mean by that, is, I saw the way you had changed when you had gotten marked. I remember commenting on how different you had looked to Harry, and yet, I did nothing about it. I know you will think I am completely mad for saying all of this, but I do wish that I would have done something to help you. I know that you probably wouldn’t have accepted any help anyways, _especially_ not from me, but I cannot help but wonder if I could have done at least something small that would have helped lighten the load that you were taking on. I also wanted to let you know that I, um, I forgive you for everything that has happened between us. We were all just kids… You know? We shouldn’t have had to do all of the things that we did. Also, for the record, I’m glad that you are still here, Malfoy. I never told you, but you’re brilliant. Honestly, you really are. I don’t want you to have some conception of me thinking that I am better than you because I’m not. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, too.”

Draco looked shell-shocked throughout the whole speech, and all he could do was nod his head. “Um yeah… Thanks, Granger, I guess…”

Hermione understood that he wasn’t going to come out and say what he was feeling, so she decided to get to the real point of the meeting.

“Anyway, this brings me on to what I had intended to tell you from the beginning. I know about the boxes that each family of the Sacred 28 was given.”

Draco looked at her curiously and hesitantly nodded.

“I’m just going to come right out and say it… Draco, I’ve opened five of the boxes, and have brought back seven wizards from the dead.”

Draco looked like he was about to faint; he had stopped breathing and bent over with his head in his hands. “Fucking hell, Granger… What have you done… I can’t believe this... “

Hermione stood up and sat next to him to try and stop his wild ramblings. “Malfoy, look at me. You need to breathe. Seriously, I need you to look at me.”

Draco let out a deep breath and lifted his head and looked at her with his light grey eyes.

“There is nothing that you need to worry about, do you understand? No one is going to harm you. They barely even know who you are. But, I need you to help me with one of the wizards. Do you think you can do this? I need you to be his friend, Draco. Just his friend. You two are so much alike, and he has no one to speak to right now, besides me. But, _you_ , Draco Malfoy... You would be the perfect person for him to talk to. I believe that you two will be able to understand each other quite well. So, what do you say? Can you do this for me?”

Draco swallowed in fear and looked down at his hands. “Who? Who is it?”

Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands too, in hopes that this would all work out. “It’s Regulus. Regulus Black.”

Draco looked up at Hermione and realized that she was actually serious. He couldn’t imagine how the two of them were alike, but Hermione had sounded so convincing. _It couldn’t hurt to try, could it?_ He thought to himself.

“Okay. Fine, I will do it.”

Hermione looked up at him with the most significant smile on her face, and she wished so badly to jump up and hug him, but she knew that it would be a bad idea. Instead, she just smiled and sat still. “Thank you, Draco.”

He nodded and then sighed. Hermione didn’t want to be pushy, but she was hoping that he would speak to Regulus today.

“Malfoy, do you think we could go and speak to him, maybe like… Right now?”

Draco looked scandalized at the thought, but then just slumped down and nodded his head in defeat. “Yeah, whatever, let’s do this before I realize that this was a terrible idea and that I should have just burnt your letter when I got it.”

Hermione rolled her eyes as she stood up, and held out her arm towards Draco. “I will apparate us to where he is. I am the only one who can apparate there besides the owner of the house. Is that okay?”

Draco nodded and wrapped his arm around hers with a sigh. Within a few seconds, they both landed in the front hall of the manor. Draco looked around in confusion.

“Granger… Why does this look somewhat familiar? I’m afraid to ask, but, whose house is this?”

Hermione unwrapped her arm from his and muttered a little quietly, though Draco could still hear it. “U-um… It’s the Rosier Manor… Evan Rosier.”

Draco paused when she said this and couldn't even reply back to the name. “Alright, Granger... Let's just go and talk to Black.”

Hermione nodded thankfully and called for Tillie. The little elf showed up and seemed confused at the wizard who was standing next to Hermione.

“Tillie, this is Draco Malfoy. Draco, this is Tillie. She is a house elf of Rosier Manor, and she has been helping me out a lot recently; I am very grateful for her. Now, Tillie, could you please show Draco and I where Regulus Black is? We would like to speak to him.”

Tillie nodded and began to walk through the large house. She had stopped before a room with large doors on it.

“Thank you, Tillie.” The elf nodded and left.

Hermione turned to Draco and gave him a few last words before they went in. “Draco, I would appreciate it if you could tell Regulus about your experience as a follower of the Dark Lord. You both have similar stories, and I think it would help Regulus. Is that alright with you? Would you like me to leave when you begin speaking about this?”

Draco shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly Granger, you’ve already gotten me this far. I don’t really care at this point.”

Hermione nodded and opened one of the doors.

Inside the room was one of the most extensive libraries, right behind Hogwarts' library, of course. The witch wanted to drool at the sight of all these books, but she could save that for later.

Hermione spotted a figure that was sitting on the end of a couch right in front of a burning fire. She didn’t want to startle Regulus, so she called out his name first.

“Regulus? I have someone I would like you to meet if you don’t mind…”

Regulus looked up at the sound of her voice, with a smile on his face. Although, once he had registered what she had said, the smile slowly dropped. “I suppose that is okay... “

Hermione grabbed the sleeve of Malfoy’s robe and dragged him into the light. Regulus looked at him with curious eyes, before he seemed to recognize who he was. “A Malfoy? Not Lucius, though…”

Hermione nodded and spoke in return. “No, not Lucius. This is his son, Draco Malfoy. We went to school together. I thought that maybe you would want to get to know each other, considering you’re related and all; second cousins I believe. And, I also think that you guys are similar in many ways; so, I thought that Draco could tell you some things, and you could also do the same.”

Regulus could feel how nervous Hermione was through their bond, and he reluctantly nodded. Hermione instantly felt relieved at this and seated Draco across from Regulus, as she went to sit down on the couch right next to the youngest Black. She then grabbed one of his hands and held it in her lap, where she rubbed her fingers against the back of it in comfort.

“So, the reason that I brought Draco here is because he was marked as well… You see, Draco was marked at about the same time as you were, age wise. He was forced to join, or else his mother and father would be killed. He was given the task to kill Dumbledore; but, he didn’t end up doing it. I think that Draco realized how far gone the Dark Lord had become, and he wanted to defect like you did. Of course, I don’t know this for sure; it is just a- I don’t know… It’s just a feeling. I would like it if you could tell Draco what had happened to you. I feel like Draco is one of the very few people who would understand.”

Hermione could now feel the anxiety that Regulus was experiencing. She squeezed his hand and looked into his eyes to give him some reassurance. “It’s okay, Regulus. I will be here if you would like, or I can leave if that would make you feel more comfortable. But, I think that you guys could connect quite well with each other. Not that I don’t want you to tell me things, but I think it would be just as good - if not better - to speak with someone who has experienced some of the same things that you did. Trust me, Regulus. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t think that it would be worth it.”

Regulus responded with a nod of his head and turned to look at the blonde man sitting across from him. They stared at each other for a few seconds as if they were having a silent conversation before Regulus turned to look at Hermione. He gave her a guilty look and seemed hesitant to speak.

“Hermione, do you suppose you could come back later? I want to be able to get to know Draco one-on-one.”

Hermione felt a pang of disappointment before she nodded and smiled at both Regulus and Draco. “Of course. Please, speak freely with each other. If you need me, I will be in my room.”

She then turned to look at Draco and gave him a sincere smile. “Draco, thank you for coming over. I meant everything that I said, before. I hope that you two will be able to become more acquainted.”

Draco bowed his head and then Hermione turned her body to the wizard sitting beside her. She squeezed his hand one last time before she lifted one of her own to his cheek. Quietly, she began whispering to him. “Thank you, as well. I appreciate you being open with him about this. I promise you; everything will be alright. Draco will not judge you for what you have done, okay? He’s different, like you... Will you come to me when you are finished here? I want to know how it goes, please.”

Regulus looked deeply into the witch’s eyes, and he could feel the warmth that she was giving off. She was happy for him; he could feel it flowing through their bond. Suddenly, her lips were on his, and he could feel himself relax, though Hermione could tell that he was feeling a bit embarrassed to be kissing her in front of Draco. Hermione ran her thumb over his cheek, which had become hot from him blushing, and ended the kiss reluctantly. When she opened her eyes, she could see that he still had his shut, and was leaning his forehead against hers. She looked at the long black lashes that slowly began to blink open to gaze back at her. Regulus nodded in her hand, and she smiled back at him.

Then, she stood up from the couch and walked out of the door. Neither of the men spoke until she had left the room.

Draco looked at Regulus with a smirk on his face. “So... Granger, huh?”

The other wizard blushed even more at the playful leer that the young Malfoy had sent his way.

 

* * *

 

Hermione padded down the halls and decided to try and find her way back to her room on her own. She couldn’t depend on Tillie to escort her everywhere that she needed to go; she would need to figure it out for herself, eventually.

Aimlessly, she roamed through the manor until she was stopped in the middle of the hall by Evan, who was standing in front of the Portrait of his father.

“Hermione, just the witch I heard so much about. I believe you are already familiar with my father, yes?”

She looked sheepishly back towards him, and he laughed at the expression. “Hermione, it’s fine. He’s a bit of a git; I am well aware. I try not to speak to any of them much; the portraits. But, the elves have been telling me that my father has been asking for me incessantly, and I knew he’d never shut up if I didn’t come to see him. Although, he’s got some rather _interesting_ opinions when it comes to you, isn’t that right, Father?”

The man in the portrait sat up in attention and began sneering at Hermione. “This uncivilized little bint criticized me and your aunt, Druella, this morning. Along with practically all of your ancestors. This boarish little mudblood mortified your aunt! You wouldn’t believe the things she said to us!”

Evan’s brows rose at this, and he turned to look at the witch in question. “I can’t imagine what you said, Hermione... What exactly did you say that made my ancestors roll over in their graves?”

Hermione gave a humored laugh at the double meaning and smiled sweetly at him. She brought her hands to the front of her body and clasped them together as if she were an innocent child.

“ _Me?_ Goodness, I don’t think I even remember… Let’s see… Ah, it _could_  be the comment I made about your father, and I quote, ‘dirtying his knees as he willingly kissed the Dark Lord’s robes.’ I _suppose_ I did also say something about how he was primarily the reason that you had died… As for Druella, well... I believe I asked her to give her daughter my thanks, for her wand, when she sees her down in Hell… Although, I can’t imagine why those comments would be so horrifying… They were true, wouldn’t you agree, darling?”

The wizard’s smirk grew into a full out grin. Hermione could tell that he was amused at the interaction that she had with his family, as he pulled her towards him by her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent his face lower to hers. “You are truly fascinating, kitten. Did you know that?”

Hermione looked at his lips as they were barely a breath away from each other. “I _have_ been told…”

Evan moved in as she said this, and attached his mouth to hers. Hermione leaned her body even closer to him as he slowly, as if on purpose, kissed her right in front of his father’s portrait. Hermione could faintly register the sound of gasping and yelling but blocked it all out as she continued to snog the wizard into oblivion. They broke apart after a short while, and Evan nipped at her lip, making her smile in return. After pulling away, the wizard looked at her with a smile and spoke clear enough for others to hear.

“Now, I believe you were headed somewhere, Miss Granger. I would hate to keep you from whatever you were going to do. I must finish speaking with these miscreants. Quite annoying, really.”

Hermione giggled and turned around as she continued her walk down the hall some more, to where she assumed her room was. She vaguely remembered walking this way with Tillie earlier that morning.

Finally, she made it to her room and went to her desk to see another letter laying there. She walked over and sat down in the cushioned leather chair. She opened the letter and smiled as she read it. She was excited at the reply that she had gotten. _I need to make sure that Sirius is free tomorrow..._

All at once, she heard a knocking on her bedroom door.

“Come in!”

The door opened to the figure of Rabastan Lestrange. He looked nervous and unsure as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Oh hello, Rabastan. Is everything alright?”

He stood there uncomfortably, and Hermione rose from her chair and went to sit at the end of her large bed. She patted the spot right beside her, inviting him to come and sit down, too. Slowly he walked over and took up the place that she had previously indicated.

“Miss Granger, I am just going to come out and say it. When will the bond between us be consummated? Usually, this happens the night that the bond is first presented, but I know that will be somewhat unrealistic; considering the sheer amount of wizards that you will need to perform the ritual with. I believe it would be best if these acts were done as quickly as possible. The longer that you wait, the more the bond will stretch thin before it ultimately breaks. Our magic will be hazardous if this is not done soon. I do not intend to let that happen. Do you?”

Hermione sat in shock.

She couldn’t believe that he actually just came to her asking when they would have sex. She wasn’t planning on having sex with a particular wizard on a specific day; it’s not like she had a bloody schedule planned out... She was just going to wait and let it happen like it would normally go.

 _Maybe he is right though… Perhaps this needs to be done as quickly as possible… I mean, I’ve already done it with Regulus, so there’s one wizard done with_. But, Hermione didn’t want to seem insensitive to the previous wizard’s feelings. She cared about each of them in her own way and didn’t want them to think that she was just having sex with them as if it meant nothing.

“Rabastan, does sex mean anything to you? I am going to be honest with you; I have already sealed the bond with Regulus. But when we did, _that_ , it meant something. Not just to me but to him as well. I don’t want to have meaningless sex. Can you honestly tell me that you feel anything at all for me? Or is this just a scratch that you need to be itched? Out of all of the wizards, you are the one that I am most uncertain about. I don’t know how you will respond to having sex with me. I have no qualms about being intimate with you, Rabastan. But, are you sure that you truly want to be with me like that? I am not perfect, you know. As you’ve pointed out before, I am not 'pureblood material.' Are you willing to wait until you are certain, or would you rather just have a quick shag just to get it over with? It is up to you. You are already aware of what I would prefer.”

Rabastan looked confused when she finished speaking. “I cannot admit that I have ever had sex that was ‘meaningful.’ Back in Hogwarts, I just fooled around with a very select few witches. They were all, of course, purebloods. But, there were no feelings involved. I don’t know what it means to have sex that is like that. So, you wish to wait, Miss Granger? I can’t say that I will be able to wait very long. I admit that the pull towards you is prominent. My body... It wants you. It _craves_ you. It is merely my head that I am uncertain about.”

Hermione let out a sad smile at his words. “I understand. I do wish for us to wait if that is alright with you… Rabastan, I _do_ want you, you must know that. I just… I want you to want _me_ , as well.” He nodded at this and went to stand up.

“Rabastan… Can I kiss you?” Hermione asked hesitantly. If they were going to end up having sex, he needed to get used to the thought of touching her and accepting her touch in return.

He nodded slowly, and she rose up next to him and grabbed his hand. She wrapped his hand around her back, as she brought her's up to his shoulders. They stared at each other until she lifted one of her hands off of his broad shoulders and slid it up to the side of his jaw. She watched as a muscle jumped when he had clenched his teeth, and proceeded to grab his other hand to repeat the gesture onto her own jaw. His elegant hand felt warm and soft against her cheek, and she could feel her body beginning to respond to his light touch. She nodded at Rabastan and lifted herself up so that she could feel his breath fan across her face. She slid the hand that was on his jaw up to his eyelids and softly ran her fingers over each one.

“Close your eyes,” Hermione whispered to him and he obliged. Once his eyes were fully shut, she cradled his face in her hand once again and leaned even closer so that their bottom lips brushed against each other. Hermione could feel the shallow breath that he let out, and finally closed the distance between them. She captured his bottom lip between her's softly, and then pulled away.

It was only one little kiss, but Rabastan was captivated. He swore he could feel some of her magic pass through him, and it felt calming and caring. Rabastan had never felt anything like it. No witch had felt like the one in front of him did, and his mind became fuzzy. He could do nothing but stare into her eyes and take deep breaths.

Hermione smiled and gave him a short kiss on the cheek before she pulled her body away from his. As much as he hated to admit it, he felt something from that kiss. He wanted more, but he couldn’t even move his body to reciprocate.

Hermione noticed his dazed state and took him by the hand as she moved him slowly onto the bed to lay on his side, as she lay across from him on her side as well. They continued to stare at each other even as Hermione burrowed herself closer to his chest, and manually brought his arm around her waist again. She lay there cuddled against him and found herself closing her eyes while drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

Just before she had lost consciousness, she felt Rabastan’s arm tighten around her, effectively pulling her closer to him. She heard him let out a sigh, and then everything was dark.

 

* * *

 

Hermione awoke to the sound of knocking on her door. Rabastan was still wrapped around her, and she couldn’t bear to separate herself from him. He looked so peaceful, and she couldn’t imagine the last time he had a pleasant sleep.

The front of his toned body was flush up against her back, and an arm laid tenderly across her stomach. Hermione slowly lifted his hand and slid her fingers through his, so that she was holding his arm against her.

She waved her hand towards the door, and it opened with a loud creak. She cringed at this, though Rabastan hadn’t moved a centimeter.

Standing beyond the other side of the door, was Regulus. He looked content and happy; she could feel it when she looked at him. Hermione motioned for him to come towards her and she saw the flash of hesitation that had stopped him from moving forward, but then patted the bed in invitation. He quickly made his choice, as he shuffled towards her. Hermione smiled at him when he stood right on by the side of her bed.

“Lay down.”

Regulus looked embarrassed at the thought of laying in the same bed as her and the hard-headed wizard, who was currently holding her tightly against his sleeping body. Hermione gave him and pointed look, and he relented, laying down on his side so that they were facing each other.

Regulus felt a jolt of jealousy when he looked at her hand that had clutched Rabastan’s. He took the initiative and grabbed her other hand that was laying in front of her, and slid his fingers through hers, as he clasped their hands together.

Hermione couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across her face when she saw Regulus gather up the confidence to touch her so freely. She squeezed his hand, making him lift his head to look into her eyes.

“How was it?” Her soft voice whispered out into the quiet room.

Regulus smiled brightly at her and started to play with the ends of the stray curls that draped themselves across her neck. “It was brilliant. I couldn’t believe it; how alike the two of us were. He told me about how he got marked, and he told me about the task that he was given. We connected over so many things… Our childhoods, the expectations, the responsibilities, and the guilt. Trying to make up for our mistakes; for _everything_. It was amazing Hermione, it really was amazing. I feel so much lighter now; like I’m not as alone anymore…”

Hermione was happy for Regulus when he told her about all of the things that he had realized, and how well their meeting had gone. Suddenly, she felt a pulse of distress in her heart and looked suspiciously at Regulus.

“What happened, Regulus? I thought you were happy about the meeting…” She furrowed her brows in questioning.

Regulus refused to make eye contact with her, and instead just stared at the hand that he was holding as he began speaking. “Draco… He also told me some other things, you know… About his time at Hogwarts, and things that had happened during the war. He told me about how ghastly he treated you; although, I had already assumed that you guys were not friendly in school. He told me a lot about you… I mean, I asked him to tell me, so I should have been able to handle the things that he had said. And I did, at first. He told me about how smart you were and how you were always getting into trouble.” Hermione watched as a small smile appeared on Regulus’ face.

“He told me about the time when you struck him, and we laughed about it. He was telling me about how he couldn’t even say anything hateful to you when he had seen you at the Yule Ball. He said you looked beautiful, you know. But, then, he suddenly went silent for a few moments, and he had this pained look on his face. I was so confused, but then he started speaking again, and I understood why he had looked so hurt. He told me about a specific day when he was called down to the sitting room. When he went down there, he saw your friends, and then he saw _you…_  And, he told me that you looked so defiant as you stood there, and I could almost picture it in my head. He told me about how they wished for him to identify Potter, and that he couldn’t do it. He told me about how he had lied, and how he thought that he had saved you all when he had done that. But, then he said that Bellatrix was fixated on you, specifically. Draco said that she wouldn’t stop yelling at you, asking how you got some sword, and accusing you of breaking into her vault.”

Hermione nodded solemnly at this and waited for him to continue. She was waiting for him to say what she _knew_ was coming.

“Hermione, he told me, about how they separated you three. That the other two were taken to the Malfoy dungeons, and that you were left upstairs with him and his family. He… He said that Bellatrix had tortured you, for _so long._ Draco didn’t even know how long it had lasted, but he said that it felt like hours. He told me that they all stood there, watching you get hit with Crucio after Crucio and that you were screaming so loudly. Said he’d never forget the look of fear on your face when she had taken out the Black family’s cursed knife… A-at first I thought that he was bluffing. I had always heard about the dark objects that my family was in possession of, but I had never actually seen them with my own eyes. But he kept talking, and he told me that he watched your body writhing on the hard floor, as Bellatrix carved into your arm. H-he told me what she had carved, and how sick he felt when he had watched blood dripping out from the word that he had spewed at you for years… Hermione, which arm was it?”

Hermione closed her eyes tightly and squeezed the hand that he was holding. Slowly, she felt his fingers uncurl from her's and tensed as she felt him slide the sleeve of the cardigan up her arm. She heard the hiss that came from his mouth and heard him swallow loudly as he spoke again in a shaky voice.

“I never noticed it, last night… How c-could I have missed it? Oh, Gods… _My_ cousin did this to you?”

Hermione’s eyes instantly flew open when she heard a voice growl lowly out into the quiet room.

“What did Bella do? Show me, now.”

Hermione lost all of the fight in her body and complied with Rabastan’s command.

She looked at Regulus and whispered out a broken plea. “Show him, Regulus…”

Regulus looked at her with deep despair and held up her arm for the wizard behind her to see.

Rabastan had rolled her onto her back, and he released his arm from her waist. She watched as he leaned over her side, and grabbed her arm. Hermione felt his hand tighten around her wrist and slightly flinched at his grip.

There was nothing. No noise, no movement; absolutely nothing.

Rabastan’s eyes stayed glued to the word that was permanently scarred into her forearm.

Then she heard his grating voice begin to speak.

“This is what you had meant; when you said that you were marked. Bellatrix… She marked you.”

Hermione looked between the two wizards and just whispered a simple response, hoping to lessen the tension that flew through the air around them.

“It’s okay.”

Regulus spoke up this time, and his voice held a broken tone to it. “No, Hermione, it’s not okay. _This_ isn’t okay.”

Hermione grabbed both Regulus’ hand, and Rabastan’s, and slid her hands up their arms to lift the fabric that was covering their dark marks. She brought Rabastan’s arm up to her lips and kissed his mark, and he tensed as she did this. Then she slid her hand back into his and brought Regulus’ arm up to her lips as she kissed his mark as well, and clasped their hands together just like before. She looked at them after she did this, and nodded at them with a weak smile.

“It’s okay, now. I’m okay, and so are you both. She is dead, and so is he. They can’t hurt us anymore, okay? I promise you both; I am fine. I’m not mad about it anymore. I’m just sad... None of us deserved to be marked like this, do you understand me? But it’s over now, and there is nothing we can do about it. There is no one left to get revenge on. All we can do now is live our lives one day at a time.”

Regulus gave her a sad smile, while Rabastan nodded his head slowly. Suddenly she heard the older wizard speak once more. “I’m sorry.”

Hermione smiled and replied in a whisper, “I know.”

Abruptly, a new voice had spoken out into the quiet room. Hermione looked towards the door, where she met the inquisitive eyes of Antonin Dolohov. He was leaning against the door frame; his arms crossed over his chest.

“What do we have here?” He stood up and began walking towards the three of them who were still laying on the bed. “I must say, I’m hurt, _Myshka_. Where was my invitation?”

Hermione let out a huff at this. “I apologize. It appears to have gotten lost on the way. No matter, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.” Hermione winked at the two men who were laying beside her, and leaned close to each of them, whispering in their ears the same thing.

“Watch.”

They both looked at her with confused expressions, and she squeezed each hand before she let go of them. She slowly got onto her knees as Antonin stopped at the foot of the bed. She crawled over the sheets on her hands and knees and stopped herself just as her face got close to his abdomen. She lifted her head to look at him with seductive eyes. Her warm breath was right by his bulge and fanned across his trousers.

“What do you want, Antonin? Is it tasting time, now? I think we’ve used our hands enough… Don’t you?”

Antonin growled at her and went to grab for her hair, but she quickly rolled to the side onto her back and started laughing. Regulus chuckled a little along with her, and Rabastan cracked a sly smile.

“Antonin, we were only speaking. Merlin, is _everything_ sexual to you?”

Dolohov was miffed at this and grabbed her by her hands with a tight grip. “When you tease me as much as you do? Of course _Myshka_. You know that I want you.”

Hermione flashed him a cocky smirk, and this action is what set Antonin off.

He pulled her so that she was sitting up, and he sat himself at the end of the bed along with her sitting in between his open legs. He put each leg over his own and held her arms together behind her back with one of his hands. They were both facing the two wizards that looked lost and watched as their looks changed when Antonin spread his legs, efficiently spreading Hermione’s along with him. Her dress had ridden up, and the two wizards couldn’t hold themselves back as their eyes strayed to her black knickers.

Dolohov laughed maliciously and sneered from behind her horrified face. “Ah, you’re realizing now that you shouldn’t have teased me, aren’t you? I’m thinking of a plan right now, _Myshka_. Should I teach little Black here how to eat you out, or maybe Rabastan here, will do it? Ah, but I do wish to be inside of you, you know… I don’t think I can wait much longer. Or should I have one of them hold you, as I eat you out and then fuck you? So many options to choose from…”

Hermione could feel the heat already forming in her abdomen as she pictured doing what Dolohov had said. She bit her lip to keep from making any noises and watched how Regulus sat there wide-eyed with rosy cheeks, and Rabastan had his hands tightly clutching the thigh of his pants. His eyes were zoned in on her clothed center, and she could feel her heart rate speeding up.

“I think we should do the first option… What do you think? Little Reggie here can taste you, and you can assist Rabastan with your pretty little mouth after. Then, I’ll fuck you. What do you say?”

Hermione clenched her eyes shut as she dropped her head back against his shoulder. She took a deep breath before lifting her head back up to look at her two wizards in front of her. Regulus looked at her with uncertainty. She could tell that he was turned on, but he would say no if that’s what she wanted. Rabastan looked like a dark prince, as he gazed at her with a primal need, and his jaw twitched as he clenched it.

She knew this could potentially be a bad idea, but fuck, she wanted it so badly…

Just as she was about to make her decision, the sound of a loud cough filled the room, and all movement stopped as they turned to look at the intruder. Evan stood there with an empty expression, though his eyes took on a hard gleam when he met Hermione’s. Antonin interrupted the intense staring and made an angry noise in the back of his throat.

“Listen, mini Rosier, having three wizards is already pushing it. So, you’d better turn back around and leave, because four is _not_ an option. You can kindly piss off, now.”

Evan glared at the oldest wizard and spoke in a commanding tone. “I’m here because I need to speak with Hermione.”

“It can wait. I, however, cannot.” Antonin bit out angrily. 

“Antonin, please. Evan wouldn’t have come all the way here if it wasn’t important; he could have just sent a house elf to get me. We can continue this later _Dogoroy…_ I will make it worth the wait, I promise.” Hermione said this as she turned around to look at the rugged wizard, and leaned forward to nip at his bottom lip.

Antonin growled, and his hand flew out to capture her once more but was forced to retreat when Hermione’s body was tugged by her leg. She let out a high pitched squeal and suddenly felt the weight of a body looming over her. As she looked up, she was greeted by the lustful face of Rabastan. His long auburn hair hung down in tendrils that barely grazed her cheeks, and his eyes were hooded in desire. She was shocked at his action, and her whole body froze. She watched as Rabastan started to lower himself more onto her, also bringing his face closer to hers.

Finally, she was broken from her trance and whispered to the wizard that was pressed against her. “Rabastan, what are you do-”

Hermione was cut off from finishing her question, by a pair of thin lips melding together with her own. Hermione responded instantly and kissed him back, lifting her hands up to his face to hold him tightly.

Rabastan was barely holding himself back, but he couldn’t help it. When he had seen her with her legs spread wide open like that- the damp mark on her knickers that had accumulated from her desire- he was gone. She was perfect at that moment. He needed to touch her, to feel her whole body rub against his as he pumped his cock in and out of her little cunt. Antonin certainly didn’t help when he began describing the things that they would do, including her polishing his knob. When Rosier showed up, he knew that those things would not be happening, and he was pissed. He had to touch her just one last time today; to kiss her and _feel_ her.

She let out tiny moans as his lips caressed hers, and those only spurred him on to continue. But, of course, the little witch wouldn’t let him go on; she had to pull away and smooth her thumb across his face. “I have to go…”

Rabastan let out a defeated sigh and removed himself from over the top of her, nodding his head. Hermione stood up on slightly weak legs and pulled the hem of her dress so that it was no longer exposing her more than was appropriate. She looked over to Evan who was still there, leaning coolly against the door, and smiled.

Hermione began walking to the wizard, when she was suddenly spun around from an arm slung around her waist, and was pushed up against the wall, barely any space between her and the door. Her eyes caught light grey and smiled at Regulus’ red cheeks and shuddering breaths. His eyes looked crazed, and she gave him one short nod before he tightened his arm around her waist, and buried his other hand in her hair. His kisses were frenzied, and Hermione was impressed at the control that Regulus was showing, considering how greatly he wanted her.

She could tell that he felt a bit out of his element, and she presumed that he was snogging her so roughly to show the other wizards that he wasn’t the 'little child' that they all had pegged him to be. Taking control of the kiss, Hermione slowed it down so that they were measured and sweet. She brought a hand up to Regulus’ chest, laying just over his heart, and pulled back from the kiss to whisper to him.

“I like you the way that you are Regulus. You’re different than these other wizards; that’s what makes you special to me.”

Regulus nodded and replied just as quietly, though a pinch of shame came through. “I apologize…”

“No, don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay if you want to do new things, but don’t do it because of someone else. Do it because _you_ want to do it. I will lov-... Like you, no matter what.” Regulus noticed the slip-up but didn’t make any show of it.

Hermione was horrified at her mistake and felt a strong urge to get the hell out of that room as quickly as possible. Looking over to Evan with a helpless face, she silently pleaded that he would help her escape. 

Nodding his head in understanding, Evan stepped forward to lay his hand lightly on Hermione’s shoulder. “Well, good show. We’ll be on our way now,” the wizard said as he turned Hermione around to follow him out the door, shutting it loudly behind him. Hermione looked up at him in confusion as to why he had slammed the door that way, but his face showed no trace of emotion.

_I don’t understand, did I do something wrong? Was he angry because of the other guys? Was he jealous?! No, there’s no way he would be jealous to that extent. Was it something that happened earlier today? I’m so confused, does it have to do with why he was coming to get me?_

Hermione felt the hand on her shoulder tighten, and she was brought back to the real world, finding herself standing at the top of an old spiral staircase made out of bricks. “Evan, where are we?” Hermione asked in confusion.

“I’ll explain more once we get down there. Just, trust me, okay?”

Hermione nodded and walked closely behind Evan as he led them both down the staircase. Once they were at the bottom, Hermione finally took the time to take in her surroundings.

At the far end of the room was a large bowl of some sort; almost like a cauldron. She turned an inquisitive face to the wizard still standing beside her, and he began to speak.

“I know that you can apparate within the house, but in order for you to be fully protected within it, the manor needs your blood in return. It’s something that all Rosier’s have participated in. I just thought, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have the extra help… If you don’t want to, then I understand, but I would prefer that you do it. I want you to be bound to my house.” Evan said, seemingly nervous, but also very adamant that she should do as he told her.

“Okay, what do I do?” Hermione replied, interested in what was about to take place. She watched as Evan pushed one of his hands into the pocket of his trousers, and pulled out a small dagger, the silver glinting in the light. Hermione was nervous at the sight of it, being reminded of the blade that Bellatrix had used to carve into her with. She quickly demolished the thought. _I_ _t’s not the same, Hermione. Everything is fine._

“I will cut your hand, just a small cut. Then, you will do the same to mine, okay? The 'master' of the Manor needs to give his blood as well, for validation. Don’t ask; it’s idiotic.” Hermione giggled a little at his exasperated comment.

“Give me your hand, please,” Evan said as he held out his hand, waiting for her to extend her own. Placing her hand gently in the wizard’s hand, she looked up into his blue eyes. He reciprocated and began to speak once again.

“Are you ready? First, I’ll cut your hand, and then you I will hand the knife over to you, and you will cut mine. Once we do that, we need to let the blood drip into the basin. After that, we will need to hold hands until the liquid begins to smoke. Once that happens, then we are finished, and the cuts will heal themselves. You will be fully protected and bonded to the house. This doesn’t count as me hurting you, so the soulbond will not be broken.”

Hermione nodded her head in confirmation and looked deeply into his eyes. “Okay, I’m ready, let’s do it.”

Evan gave her one last look of question, but she just returned it with a smile. Grasping her hand, he brought the sharp blade to the palm of her hand and pressed the tip just to the middle, and quickly swiped the knife over her skin. Hermione let out a small hiss at the stinging feeling and watched as red dots began to raise out of the cut. Evan turned the dagger around hilt first and handed it to her. She grabbed it slowly, nervous to be wielding such a dangerous weapon against someone whom she cared about, but gathered up the nerve to curl her fingers around the back of his hand, and quickly swiped the dagger over his skin just as he had done to her. Now that they were both bleeding, Hermione handed the knife back to Evan, who carelessly dropped it onto the ground. She felt a pressure on her hand as the wizard intertwined their fingers together and pressed their cut palms against one another. Evan moved both him and Hermione to stand right next to the large cauldron, placing their clasped hands over the top.

“So now we just wait?” Hermione asked.

“Basically.” Evan nodded.

Hermione watched in rapture as their blood mixed together; swirling around in the liquid that filled the bowl. All at once, Hermione began to feel a twinge of pressure in her abdomen. Her eyes looked around in confusion, as she felt her heart rate speeding up, along with her breathing.  _Why the bloody fuck, do I feel so randy all of the sudden?! Evan didn’t say anything about something like this happening…_

“Evan?” Hermione questioned in a breathy voice.

“Fuck, kitten. I don’t know what is happening, but you, saying my name like that, is _not_ helping.”

“But, Evan… I-” Hermione suddenly halted her sentence when she felt the wizard let go of her hand quickly, watching smoke rise from the cauldron. Hermione was still standing there, shocked when she finally heard the sound of the dagger scraping against the concrete floor as Evan picked it up and began to wipe it off frantically; trying to escape as quickly as possible.

The witch was confused, though she knew that Evan had felt something too. The wizard was already turning around to begin stalking away when she rapidly ran over to him to get him to stop.

“Evan, wait!” Hermione said as she brought a hand out to grab his arm that had been bared, once he had rolled up the sleeves of his long black shirt. Once she had made contact with his skin, he jerked himself out of her reach as if he had been burnt.

“No, don’t touch me.” He grunted out.

Hermione’s eyes opened wide with shock, a flare of hurt erupting in her. “W-what do you mean?”

Evan turned back around abruptly as he heard the broken tone in her voice. His eyes widened in shock as well, and he began to shake his head in fervor.

“No… No, Hermione, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…” He let out a deep sigh of frustration and continued his thoughts.

“Listen, what I meant was, I’m trying very hard right now to hold myself back from picking you up and shagging you senseless against the bloody wall, and feeling you touch me doesn’t help my control. Of course, I want you to touch me. Merlin, witch... But, I-I can’t take advantage of you like that. I won’t.” Hermione was rendered silent at his insisting words.

“But I want to touch you, Evan… I want you… I _need_ you.” Hermione whimpered at him, practically begging him to touch her.

He groaned loudly at her words and had to lay a hand on the wall to keep himself in grip. “Kitten, you don’t mean that… It’s the bonding or something, but it’s not you. Please, I need to leave…”

Hermione stalked over to the wizard who was leaning against the wall on his side, and pushed his back against the hard bricks; one hand fisted the shirt on his chest, while the other snaked up to his hair. She tugged roughly on his hair, bringing his head down so that it was closer to her height. Hermione sneered as she glared into his surprised eyes. Breathily, she told him off.

“Now you listen here, Evan Rosier. When I said that I wanted you, I bloody well meant it. It is not the bonding speaking, that is just giving me the extra push. Don't ever tell me how I am supposed to feel. I know what I want, and I know what I need. What I fucking need is _you_. Do you get it now? I want you to take me. I am consenting, right here and right now. I want you to fuck me, is that understood?” Hermione asked is a cold voice, which still needed to stop to suck in air.

Evan nodded desperately, and Hermione smirked. “Now, do you want me as well, Evan? If you say yes then I am expecting you to go through with it. No pulling back. Yes or no?”

The wizard that she had tightly in her grip was gasping for air at this point, and his pupils were blown wide with lust. “Yes. Fuck, yes.”

Hermione smiled at his response, “Good.”

What Hermione wasn’t expecting, was the feeling of arms grabbing onto her waist tightly, in addition to the feeling of the world swirling around before her eyes. She clenched them shut and felt herself being pushed back onto something soft; a bed.

Hermione opened her eyes to see Evan straddling her with the same smirk on his face that she had just previously worn. “Tell me, kitten; did you really think that you would be in control? You had your time; it’s _my_ turn now. I have to admit; you had me going there for a moment.”

Hermione pursed her lips in a false pout. “So, does that mean that you’re not going to shag me?” She asked, in an innocent voice.

Evan saw through her sarcasm and grinned. “Of course I am going to shag you, kitten. You said no pulling back, and I won’t. No pulling _out_ either.” Hermione laughed at what he had said last and winked at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Just as she finished saying that she felt a hot pair of lips ravaging hers. His tongue was battling with hers, and he was sucking on her lips only to pull back a bit to nip the tip of her pink lips. They were both panting, and Hermione was making small whimpering noises, which made Evan’s cock harden even more than it already was.

Hermione let out a squeak when she felt a cold hand slide up her bare leg, leaving goosebumps in its track; giving her the chills. His calloused hand started from the very bottom of her, tugging at the ties to her trainers and slipping them off, throwing them onto the ground. Doing the same with the other shoe, he then proceeded to run both hands up each leg. Instead of running his hands directly under her dress, he deftly unbuttoned her clothing, until it was completely unrestrained.

Sitting up, he stared down at the undone buttons and reached both hands out to push each side of the dress apart. Evan wanted to burst at the sight of her lying beneath him in nothing but her black knickers. Her beautiful breasts were bare from a bra, and the wizard had to stop himself from ravaging her right then and there.

_No, I need to take this picture in for a moment, because I will definitely be remembering this for the rest of my life._

Hermione looked vulnerable as his eyes roved over her. Finally, once Evan had gotten a good enough look at her, he bent his head down to kiss her from head to toe. His lips kissed each thigh, skipping her heat that she wanted to badly for him to pay attention to. His lips dragged themselves over her scar as kissed that too, and he continued his trail until he got up to her neck, where he began kissing and sucking on it gently; though, just enough for Hermione to know that he was leaving marks on her.

Evan’s lips had found themselves placing a long kiss on her lips, before he began his descent, stopping directly at her breasts. Kissing each one, he then opened his mouth to run his tongue over her peaks, circling around them to tease her.

“Evan please,” she whined out in impatience.

Complying, he brought his whole mouth over one of her tits, sucking and nipping at the extra soft skin. Hermione let out a moan at this and Evan was surprised at how responsive she was to his ministrations, and he hadn’t even touched her heat yet. Remembering that, the wizard slid a hand into her knickers to feel the wetness that was coating her cunt. Her hips were wiggling and grinding herself against his hand. Evan tested her out, sticking two fingers inside of her feeling her hot flesh squeeze around them.

“Gods, how are you still so fucking tight even after Regulus?” Evan groaned.

Hermione’s eyes widened in shock and embarrassment, but before she could ask the wizard how he knew about Regulus, Evan started to pump his fingers in and out, his thumb moving to her clit to rub on it simultaneously. The witch’s legs widened even more, practically begging him to fuck her with her action. Evan’s eyes had raked up and down her body, his hooded eyes occasionally meeting hers, causing her to roll her body as close to his as she could get, spurring him on.

Hermione could feel the beginnings of a climax and squeezed her eyes shut, her back arching and her hands fisting the sheets when it finally hit her.

Evan smirked as he watched her beautiful body bend from his doing, and leaned down towards her neck as he nipped the skin countless times, whispering in a scratchy voice.

“That’s it, Kitten.” He breathed against her as she was coming down from her high. She was trying endlessly to control her panting, still feeling a throb from her pussy. “You’re fucking perfect, did you know that?” The wizard asked, his voice low and rumbling.

Hermione couldn’t help but groan at the way that he had spoken to her and felt her resolve begin to wear thin. As she peered at him, she noticed that he was still fully clothed and Hermione was determined to change that. Extending her arm out, Hermione slowly ran her hand over his arm up to his collarbone that peeked through the black buttoned up shirt. Her small fingers traced the buttons in circles, as she popped open each button just as he had done to her dress. His skin was pale, with a few freckles dotted around his chest like a constellation of stars. When the shirt was completely undone, Hermione brought both hands up to push the fabric off of his shoulders and down his arms. Instead of watching her hands as they moved, she instead watched for Evan’s reactions.

His eyes watched as the shirt slid off of his shoulders, stopping in its tracks just at his forearms. The ocean blue eyes that were previously filled with lust now looked anxious. _He’s scared of me seeing his dark mark_ , Hermione thought to herself. She continued to stare into his eyes, trying to convey reassurance, as her hands began to fall down his arms all the way to the cuffs of his shirt, popping open each button that held the fabric tight to his wrists. Once she had done this, she could feel the shirt begin to slip further down, and her hands helped along by tugging at the sleeves. Now that she had his shirt in her hands, she threw it onto the floor along with all of her clothing as well.

Evan watched frightfully as her eyes had finally broken away from their stare, to travel slowly down his body. She had made no indication as to noticing the faded skull located in the middle of his left forearm. He didn’t think he would be nervous when he had imagined this happening; of her having to see it. But, now that it was actually happening, he had felt the weight in his chest that resembled something akin to shame.

It was at this time that he took notice of the white lines that scarred her arm. Oddly, seeing the slur that had been carved into her arm, had made him feel a little bit better about his dark mark. He didn’t want to bring attention to either of their imprints, so he instead diverted both of their attention to the action of him unzipping the fly to his pants, and pulled them off so that he was now on his knees between her legs in just his black briefs.

Hermione knew that Evan had finally observed the sight of her scar, but she was not phased by it. _Apparently, we both had been thinking the same thing because neither of us moved to bring any signs of realization at the marks._ Hermione only knew that he had registered her scar when she saw his brows furrow for merely a split second.

She was dragged away from her thoughts when she had heard the sound of a metal zipper being undone. Her eyes had automatically zeroed in on his lower body. He was already at full mast, though the witch could understand why. This was exciting for them both, including the odd phenomenon that had occurred during her bonding to the manor. Evan had been just as affected as she, and the evidence stood hard and bulging in his briefs. Hermione wasted no time in sitting herself up and reaching her hands out to tug down the waistband of the black fabric. Once she had gotten the last piece of clothing on him, she wrapped her hand around his cock with a semi-loose grip, teasing him a bit, but not enough for him to cum just yet.

Evan growled quietly at her movements, and after a while he had snatched her hand off of his dick, a dark tone coming through as he asked spoke. “Tell me that you want this, Kitten. I need to hear you say it.”

Hermione knew without any doubts that this is what she wanted. Out of all the other wizards, Evan was most worthy to go second. His subtle kindness and care made the witch admire him even more. His bravery, his understanding, and his strength were just a few of the many characteristics that made him special to her.

“Evan, I want this. I want you.”

Once Evan heard this, he bent himself down to place a heated kiss on her lips, and Hermione gripped his blonde locks in between her fingers; tugging it as she moaned. Evan’s hands were suddenly gripping her shoulders, pushing her body to lay back on the bed. He held her hips in his hands and lifted them so that her lower body was laying on his thighs; her upper body still laying completely flat. Hermione watched as the wizard positioned his tip right at her entrance, and slowly began pushing himself in; shallow thrusts to begin with, until he was completely inside of her.

“Fuck, Kitten…” Evan groaned out as he threw his head back and clenched his eyes shut, at the feeling of her hot pussy wholly wrapped around his cock. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back and go gently on her, but he wasn’t going to go super rough either; he never really was a rough lover. Instead, Evan preferred to pay attention to physical feelings.

He paid attention to every little thing during sex; the sounds of the witch, the sense of their skin rubbing together, the hard breathing that filled the room, and the way that his body reacted to the witch. Evan always focused on the senses. So, when Hermione had crossed her ankles behind his back, locking her together with him, he took this as a sign to move and clutched onto her thighs as he began to thrust into her at a slow speed. The feeling on her warm flesh sucking him in was heaven-like, and the drag of his cock against her soft walls was intoxicating. He could feel every bump and every ridge of her pussy; all the while, he stared at her chest that bounced with each thrust. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy, and her hands were moving down her own chest, pulling and pinching at her nipples. He wanted so badly to replace her hands with his, but the image of her was too perfect to ruin, and he was gripping onto her hips that were lifted off the bed, with a tight hold. _I will have plenty of other times when I can fully explore her beautiful body_ , Evan thought to himself.

Hermione was lost in the feeling of their bodies grinding and thrusting against one another. Her hips rolled to get more momentum, and she basked in the feeling of his hands clutching her so securely. There was sweat beading on his forehead, and his bright blue eyes met with hers. The witch could clearly see how good he was feeling by the panting breaths and the rapid thrusts, and she bit her bottom lip as she released one of her hands from her breast and slid it down to her heat, her fingers finding her clit and rubbing intensely at it. Her fingers would lightly ghost themselves over Evan’s hard cock with each circle that she made on her clit.

Evan reveled in the extra sensations that her fingers were giving him, and the sight of her rubbing herself as he pistoned into her was almost as perfect. Evan had never had a shag like this; he never had a witch like her. The few witches that he had been with had only wanted him for the status and bragging rights, and none of them dared to do the things that Hermione was doing. Never once did he witness a witch touching herself the way that she was, and they would never have let him fuck them in the way that he was fucking Hermione. His hands had never gripped another witch’s skin like this; hard enough to leave marks. Sure he had squeezed a few tits before, but even that had less of a grip than he had on the little witch beneath him currently. Evan wanted to make Hermione feel good, and that was the difference. She wasn't just a stiff board laying under him like some of the other witches had been. Hermione Granger was mesmerizing, she was _unforgettable_ , and he needed to make sure that she knew that.

Pulling his hands from her thighs and her hip, and brought them to unclasp her entwined feet that were tethering him to her, instead, he lay her legs on his on his shoulders and leaned slightly forward to place his hands on either side of her body. He continued to thrust in this position, which brought him in at an even deeper angle. The sounds of skin slapping could be heard throughout the room, and Evan removed one of his hands from the bed and brought it up to her face, brushing strands off of her forehead, and trailing the fingers to her cheek. Hermione’s mouth was open as she panted and moaned, and Evan ran one of his digits across her bottom lip that she was slightly red from when had previously bitten down on it.

Hermione took this chance to catch one of his fingers between her swollen lips and began to suck on it as if it were his cock. Evan growled, and Hermione let out a whimper at the feral noise and started to whine when he had abruptly pulled his wet finger out of her mouth. Hermione had nothing to complain about when she felt her hand that was still rubbing her heat being pushed away and replaced by his wet digit. For some reason, just his single finger felt twice as good as hers, and she couldn’t help but let out a high pitched moan at the difference.

“Does that feel good Kitten?” The wizard growled out. Hermione’s body was writhing on the sheets, making them bundle up beneath her. She knew that she would reach her limit soon, and the feeling that was building in her heat gave notice to this. “Yes, Evan… I-I’m close. I’m so close, please” Hermione whispered out in a raising pitch.

Evan’s pace was erratic once she had said this, and he could feel the impending end of his pleasure coming soon. _I’m not ready to stop now. How am I supposed to share her like this? Sweet Salazar, it feels like it’s only been mere minutes since we have been shagging! I know it’s been much longer than that, but it all feels like it’s going so fast; too fast for me._

Hermione was a second away from cumming, and her moans were getting louder with each thrust that her wizard made. _Wait, my wizard?! Since when am I referencing him as mine? Oh, Gods, I’ve really gotten myself in way too deep now._ “Oh, Godric… Evan, I’m g-gonna…”

Evan’s eyes bored into her, and he bent himself down closer to her ear so that she could hear him clearly. His panting breaths made it a little hard to get out the specific words, but he finally gathered enough air to reply. “Do it… Cum for me, Kitten.” He growled out the rest of it to her in a sensual voice, his lips brushing against the tip of her ear. “I want to feel you cum on my cock, Hermione.”

Evan could feel the tightening of her walls and leaned back quickly so that he could get a good look at her when she came. This is what he had been waiting for; to see Hermione fall apart with bliss by _his_ doing. This was the type of power that he enjoyed; not the sadistic power that Antonin appreciated, and not the superior power that Rabastan liked. Watching Hermione’s back rise in an arch, her eyelids clenching shut, with long moans of his name and various expletives falling from her mouth; hips going entirely still as he pumped into her, his fingers still toying with her clit- _that_ was his undoing. Her fingernails pierced into the skin on his arms; not deep enough to draw blood, but there were little indents shaped like crescent moons that were left behind. Evan hissed at the feeling and felt his hips stutter; and with one final thrust, he buried himself inside her as he finally let himself go, following just after Hermione.

Hermione was brought out of her recuperation by a pair of lips pressing gently against hers. “Hmm, what was that for?” The witch breathed out.

Evan was still bent over the top of her, a hand placed on each side of her, and his chest was moving up in down with each breath he took. “I’m not quite sure, I just felt like it. I felt… Happy, I guess, and I had to do something to show it? Fuck if I know, Kitten.”

Hermione bellowed out a laugh at his response and looked at him with a broad smile on her face. “You were feeling what I was feeling, you git. Don’t tell me that you, the wonderful Evan Rosier, forgot that small stipulation!” She laughed jokingly.

Evan’s eyes narrowed in on her, and he gave her a fake glare. “Of course I didn’t forget; I was merely testing you, that's all.” He huffed.

Hermione giggled before her face looked at him softly. “Evan, I just want you to know that I didn’t do this because it was required, or that I was forcing myself to do it. I did it because I _wanted_ to. I wanted you, and I have ever since I left your room the other night. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about the consummation ritual until I realized that you could feel my emotions.”

Evan nodded and leaned forward once more and lifted a hand to brush some of the hair back that was on her forehead and planted a small kiss just in the center. _What the hell? That was so bloody sappy, why did I just do that?!_ Evan thought to himself, mortified.

Hermione seemed to realize his thoughts when she had watched his brows pull together in confusion. Rolling her eyes, she let out a small huff. Just as she was about to lift a hand to give him a weak pinch on his bicep, she had a sudden thought that she had forgotten about earlier. “Evan, how did you know about Regulus and I?”

The wizard looked at her with a deep stare and leaned forward as he spoke slowly to her; their eyes locked together. “Hermione, you do realize that I am the master of this house now, correct?”

Hermione nodded in confirmation, though she still had a look of questioning.

“I know _everything_ that goes on in this house, kitten. I know your every move, and I can hear everything. Anything that I want to know, I can find out. Additionally, do you honestly think that you and Regulus aren’t completely obvious? He’s always around you, and he’s always touching you; especially within the past day. Of course, I would notice the difference; and the conclusion was fairly easy to come to.” Evan said with a roll of his own eyes, and then a smirk split across his face, his eyes gleaming playfully.

He leaned even closer so that their noses were almost touching, and Hermione’s eyes still stared at him, though the look was more of shock rather than confusion. Evan held in the sudden urge to laugh, and he tried to suppress it so that Hermione would not realize what he was feeling in that moment.

“Besides,” Evan said with slyly, “he told me.”

Hermione’s eyes widened, and she gasped out at him before the two hazel eyes turned mirthful. “You bloody tosser! Just say that from the beginning! You didn’t need to frighten me like that! I thought you were truly spying on us, you little shite!” Hermione shouted at him in annoyance.

Evan couldn’t stop the laugh any longer, and finally burst out; rolling himself off of her, and onto the spot beside her. Hermione smiled at his outburst, and especially at the genuine joy that he was displaying. She had never seen him like this before, and she quite liked it, though she wasn't exactly used to it.

Evan, on the other hand, was utterly blind to his actions. He only realized that Hermione was looking at him oddly when he had finally calmed down and ceased laughing. “What? You have to admit, that was brilliant.”

Hermione nodded, “Yes, yes, it was brilliant. We are all merely peasants compared to you.”

Evan scooped Hermione into his arms, her head laying on his chest. “Finally, I’m getting the recognition that I deserve. You reckon so?”

Hermione settled herself deeper into his arms; eyes shutting in relaxation and exhaustion. She let out a tiny giggle, but her words held no tone of sarcasm. Instead, she sounded entirely sincere. “Of course. You deserve nothing less, Evan Rosier. I’d give you the world if I could.”

Shortly after Hermione had fallen into a light sleep, Evan turned his eyes down towards her face. In her sleep, she looked so relaxed, and a small smile flashed across his face. Taking the hand that he had lying on his stomach, he lifted it and brought it up to her little hand that was positioned on his chest, directly over his heart. His large hand covered her hand as his fingers ran across the skin gently, in tenderness. “Thank you,” he spoke softly into the silent bedroom.

With that, Evan’s eyes closed, as he drifted off into his own peaceful slumber.

“You’re welcome,” a delicate voice whispered out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is chapter 12, after a long wait. Sorry about that, I just went back to University for my second semester, so I have been busy lately. Anyways, Evan has finally had his intimate time with Hermione, yay! He was interesting to write, in my opinion. I did not want him to ravage her like Antonin most likely would, but I wanted him to be passionate as well. I hope that came through in the writing. The whole 'blood wards' idea was very last minute for me. I needed to come up with a way to put both Hermione and Evan in a situation that would be personal and intimate, and this is what I decided on going with. I had written a few other scenarios, but they just didn't resonate with me like I wanted them to. 
> 
> Oh yes, I almost forgot about Draco's appearance! I had been planning on including him in the story very early on because I think that he is a very complex character, and I find that he and Regulus are very much alike. Regarding the 'mudblood' scar, I didn't want Hermione to be still angry about it. Time has passed, and I thought that by this point, she wouldn't be plotting for revenge or furious about the torture, but she would instead be melancholic about it, though instead, she would be more understanding if that makes any sense? 
> 
> To wrap all of this up, I am going to leave a link to my Pinterest again, for any of those who did not know about it yet or anything else of that sort. I have added Harry and Ginny into the boards because I felt as though I couldn't leave them out. Draco, Astoria, and even Scorpius have now been added as well. 
> 
> If any of you do end up looking at the new additions, I wanted to address Astoria. I thought hard about how I wanted her to look, or her aesthetic, and I decided that I wanted her to look sort of dark and hard-cut; to be fitting of a pureblood witch that runs within the same group as the Malfoys, and everyone else. This does not mean that she is a bad person; she is completely normal and friendly. Scorpius is also being raised significantly different than Draco was. He is a well-loved child, and he is very ambitious and energetic. I also wanted Draco to have his own happy ending, so he and Astoria are indeed in love, and do not stay with each other just because they are trapped together by a contract. 
> 
> Here is the link to my Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/emmahanson465/
> 
> P.S. I also forgot that I made an aesthetic-y board for the blood ritual that Hermione and Evan did. And I also added more pictures to almost all of the other characters' boards, but they aren't anything special. I will occasionally do this, where I will add a new picture if it really catches my eye. 
> 
> Happy reading!!


	13. Chapter 13

He was drowning.

Water filled his lungs as he felt himself being pulled. He struggled against the force holding him down, but the harder he tried, the deeper he seemed to sink. His thoughts were empty. His life didn't flash before his eyes; it was simply empty.

Hermione shot out of Evan's bed with a large gasp. One had laid on her panting chest, and the other held onto the bed frame to keep herself upright. She bent down to grab Evan's black button up and quickly slid it on over her bare body.

"Kitten? What's going on?" Evan asked out in a low rumbling voice, his eyes continuing to stay closed.

"I-it's Regulus, something is wrong, I need to go okay? Just stay here, and I'll be back soon, alright?" Hermione said in a shaky and frantic voice.

Evan was still drowsy from waking up so abruptly, and all he did was nod his head as Hermione ran out the door and closed it quickly behind her.

"Fucking Regulus…" The dazed wizard groaned out in annoyance.

Hermione was running down the corridors and counting the doors in between Evan's room and Regulus'. Finally, she got to the room and barged through to see the sight of him tangled in his sheets; his body was writhing in a struggle.

Running up to his bed, she could hear the mumbling and the whimpers that coming from the back of his throat. Sweat was trailing down his face and his neck; his chest was pumping up and down from the large gasp of air that he was attempting to swallow.

_Okay, Hermione, this is nothing new. Harry had nightmares like this all of the time, remember? It will be fine. Regulus needs our help._

Hermione kneeled on his bedside and reached a hand out to brush through his hair, which was soaked at this point from all of his sweat.

"Regulus, it's not real. Do you hear me?" Hermione spoke softly to him, trying to get his attention through the terror that he was experiencing. "It is all just a dream, so you need to wake up."

After about three minutes of whispering small confirmations to him, while stroking his hair and his cheek gently, his had finally body stopped wriggling, and he took in one last deep breath before he attempted to calm himself down.

"That's it, just relax... Everything is going to be okay…" The witch continued to whisper to him.

Once Hermione saw that he was ultimately settled down, she went to readjust his sheets and kissed him on his forehead, turning around to return to Evan's room.

Right as she had stood up, knees entirely off of the ground, a warm hand shot out and tangled its fingers around her wrist.

The next thing Hermione knew, she was being pulled forcefully on her back into the bed, with Regulus was straddling her over the top. His hand was still squeezing her wrist tightly, and she attempted to pull it out of his grasp, but that only made him pin her whole arm down onto the mattress.

"Don't leave. You can't leave me… Not again. Please don't leave me here all alone; I need you. I-I don't want to be like them, Siri… I can't do this without you. Don't you love me? You're my b-big brother; we're family. I just wanted to be like you, Sirius. Please, you can't leave me with mother and father, they'll kill me. So… You can't leave, do you hear me? I won't allow it! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Regulus shouted at the end, and Hermione watched as tears came pouring out of his eyes, falling onto her neck and chest; only adding to her own tears.

"Okay, Reggie. I won't leave you. I'll stay here, alright?" Hermione whispered out as she sniffled.

"Do you promise? YOU HAVE TO PROMISE ME! DO IT!" He shouted out.

"Yes! I promise Regulus! I promise that I won't leave you," Hermione yelled back at him, panting from short breath.

Staring up at Regulus, her heart nearly broke.

His eyes were clenched shut, but tears were cascading down his cheeks like a waterfall; his nose was red at the very tip. His lips trembled, and his teeth were clenched tightly shut. His breath was irregular, as though he forgot how to breathe correctly.

His eyelids opened, and she could pinpoint the exact moment when he realized what he had done. His eyes were unfocused before as if he were under the Imperius curse. Now, they were the same light grey eyes that she had gotten so used to; finally cleared from his haze. When their eyes locked, she could see the horror that he was feeling.

"It's okay," she whispered.

This was his breaking point, and he finally let out a sob, as he leaned himself down onto her body; his face burrowed into her neck and hair. The cries were full-body, and his arms had let go of her wrist, to wind themselves around her back; clinging to her like a lifeline.

Her arms were onto holding him just as tightly, and she was petting him gently with the tips of her fingers to try and get him to calm down.

After a few short minutes, Regulus had finally managed to settle himself down; now he would just sniffle, and occasionally a tear would escape. His eyes felt heavy, though his hold on Hermione never lessened.

"Regulus? Keep holding on tightly okay? I'm going to take us somewhere." Regulus couldn't even process the meaning of Hermione's words before he was falling into another bed that was different from his own.

"Fucking shite, Hermione. You scared me, what the hell?!" Evan whined in a baby-like voice.

"Oh, shut up, you git. I told you I'd be back, didn't I? Well, look; here I am!" Hermione replied.

"Regulus, what are you doing here? Hermione, why did you bring a stray into my bed?" Evan questioned the witch.

"Evan Rosier, you watch your fucking tone. I brought him because I wanted him to be here too, okay? Can't a girl just lay with her two wizards in peace, and not get questioned over it?!"

Evan rolled his eyes and sat up to look at Regulus who was still holding onto Hermione, though now he was holding onto the side of her body.

"What's up, mate? Nightmares?" Evan asked casually.

"Yeah," Regulus replied in a defeated tone.

"It happens to the best of us, don't worry about it, Regulus. I already know that you used to get them quite often as a kid, so it's nothing new."

Regulus nodded, and Hermione looked skeptical.

"You knew each other as kids?"

"Of course, we're second or third cousins, something like that. Anyways, we were close when we were younger, especially in Hogwarts. Why, are you surprised?"

"Well, no, I just didn't even know that you both were close before all of this."

"Well, now you do. Perfect! Now, can we go back to bed already? It's still dark outside, which means I should be asleep."

"Oh, whatever…" Hermione mumbled out. She moved her body so that Evan was spooning her from behind, and Regulus' back was held against the front of Hermione's body.

Once they were all laying down silently, Regulus suddenly spoke up.

"Hold on; you guys consummated the bond didn't you?"

"Umm, yes…" Hermione answered slowly.

Regulus had a sour face, and Evan moved onto his elbow to look at Regulus with a roguish smirk.

"Why, are you jealous Regulus?"

"N-no! Of course not. I was just curious," the wizard stuttered out.

"Mhm... Alright then, whatever you say," Evan replied with a mocking tone.

Hermione huffed and closed her eyes to continue sleeping when she felt a crackle of magic surround her, and then Evan's voice whispered into her ear. "Touch him, Hermione. Didn't you see his precious face? He's jealous because it was  _my_  cock in your pussy, instead of his. Are you just going to leave him all sad and down over there? Or, are you going to trail your hand down his body and give him some relief?"

"Evan, I can't do that!" Hermione exclaimed, scandalized.

"Are you sure about that? Because, you seemed pretty close to doing it with three wizards earlier, and if I wouldn't have shown up when I did, I am almost certain that would have done it. You would have let Regulus eat you out, and let Antonin fuck you while you're sucking off Rabastan."

"I-I… You little snake, Evan Rosier! You really are a cunning bastard. So, you want me to touch him, then? And what is in it for you?"

"I haven't thought of that yet, Kitten. It will be a surprise."

"Fine. Game on."

Hermione heard a subtle chuckle before she started rubbing circles on Regulus, as she had her arm wrapped around his stomach. Regulus' body squirmed a little at the feeling of her fingers, but he did nothing else to stop her.

Slowly, her hand trailed to his boxers and stopped her fingers once she reached the waistband. Her fingers slipped under the band and continued to swirl around the warm skin in random patterns.

Regulus had more of a reaction this time and turned his head to look back at her. "Hermione?"

"Shhh. Just let me do this for you. Okay?"

Regulus looked past her and turned to see if Evan was aware of what was going on, but Evan seemed to be fast asleep.

"O-okay…"

Hermione nodded, and Regulus turned his head back around and closed his eyes as he felt Hermione's hands continue to tease the skin around his waist. Then, she pulled her fingers back out from beneath the briefs and brought her entire palm to rub him over the fabric.

He groaned when her fingers wrapped around his shaft that was hidden in his boxers and bit his lips as Hermione continued to stroke him from outside the fabric. His mouth opened when she did this, and he sucked in a deep breath at the feeling of her caressing him.

This is what hardened him so quickly, and after five minutes he had had enough. Regulus grabbed her hand in his and pulled his briefs down slightly with his other hand. He pulled her hand towards his cock, and his hand still lay atop hers as they both stroked him together, tightly.

"Fuck…" Regulus groaned quietly. His hips couldn't stop from thrusting ever so slightly into her hand.

Hermione was startled when she felt Evan's hand behind her tugging her panties to the side, feeling his warm cock rubbing between her pussy. Her legs tightened together at the feeling, increasing the pleasure for both her and Evan. Hermione attempted to adjust her hips so that Evan's cock could prod into her entrance to slide into her, but the wizard quickly caught on to her actions and gave her a sly smirk.

"As much as I would love to fuck you, Kitten, I think it's Reggie's turn now, don't you?" He asked in a low voice.

The silencing spell had become undone, as Regulus went rigid and turned himself entirely onto his opposite side so that he was facing both her and the other wizard.

"E-Evan?! I-"

"Regulus, I've been awake this whole time. Clearly, I am more than okay with what is going on right now. Are you going to tell me that you don't want to shag my little kitten here?"

" _Yours_? How is she yours?!"

"Are you insinuating that she is yours, instead?"

"Of course! Well, no- Oh sod off, you know what I mean, Evan."

"Apparently I don't, so why don't you show me then?"

"S-show you what?"

"Show me why she is yours. Or… Are you  _hers_ , instead?"

Regulus blushed deeply at the comment, and opened his mouth, though nothing came out.

Hermione jumped in to speak when she saw Regulus struggle to form words. "Evan, I don't belong to anyone. I mean, technically I do, but I don't. Oh hell, this is ridiculous. The point is, well- it's uh…"

"So, you don't need us then?" Evan smirked.

"Of course I need you both, well I don't but… Evan just shut the hell up already! I can't explain it okay?!"

"Show us. You're not sure if you need us? Make yourself cum, without saying either of our names or anything of the sort."

"You're… You're going to watch me m-masturbate?"

"Well, that's another way to put it," Evan said. "What do you reckon, Reggie? Don't you want her to be ours?"

Turning to look at Regulus, who had been silent the entire time, he decided it was time to break the silence. "Well yes, I want her to be mine, but I don't own her…"

"No, of course, we don't. But if another wizard came up to Hermione and suddenly snogged her against the wall, you'd be angry right?"

"Yes…" Regulus replied.

"And what would you say if he told you that he is going to take Hermione off for a quick shag?"

"I'd tell him that he can't do that… She's mine, not his. He doesn't get to touch her like that. Only I can… Well,  _we_  can, I suppose."

"Exactly. She is our witch Regulus. Not in a degrading way, mind you." Evan directed towards Hermione. "If some witch came up to Regulus and tried to do the same thing," Evan said as he turned his head towards the silent witch laying between them, "what would you do, kitten?"

"I'd hex her on the spot, obviously," Hermione scoffed.

"And why would you do that?"

"Because Regulus is mine…" She murmured, and Regulus' face turned even more red at her confession.

"But that still doesn't mean that I need you two. I mean, you guys don't  _need_  me, do you?"

"Um…" Regulus said slowly, as he looked to Evan for help. The other wizard was offering no assistance, so Regulus turned back around in resolve, and tried to appear more confident.

"Yes, I do. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't because I do. I don't want anyone else; I want  _you_ , Hermione. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours as well. Is it so wrong to want you to need me?"

Hermione's face looked at him in despair. "No of course not. I didn't mean it like that Regulus… Well, I did, but only because it's not in my mentality to be dependent on someone, or to be someone's possession."

"You're not our possession. You're not a toy, and you're not an object; you are Hermione Granger. On the other hand, you are our wife, kitten. You are bound to us both, besides the other nitwits. You are ours, do you get that? There's nothing wrong with letting someone take care of you, or to be protective of you. I don't want you to be with any other man, other than us seven. The other wizards, they won't admit it, but they are yours, Hermione. We are yours, just as you are ours. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes… I understand… I'm yours. And you're mine."

"Perfect. Now that we have that taken care of, I still want you to make yourself cum. No saying our names, still. Just for… fun. What do you say?"

"O-okay…"

Evan smirked again, and he pulled the sheets completely down, exposing all three of them.

"Regulus, we can't touch her, okay?"

Regulus nodded in confirmation, eyes glued to the witch's half bared lower body.

"Start, kitten," Evan demanded.

Hermione looked nervously at Evan and then at Regulus, though the second wizard was still focused somewhere else. She let out a deep breath and grabbed her knickers which had been pulled to the side, so instead, she was completely bare now. Hermione laid her knickers at the end of her feet and brought her knees up to part them. She shivered at the chilled air and brought a hand up to her mouth.

Hermione was completely aware that it was the hand that she was using to touch Regulus, and she looked right at him when she stuck two of her fingers in her warm mouth sucking.

His eyes were wide at her action, and he could feel himself starting to harden already.  _Oh, gods, why can I feel the ghost of her mouth on me…_

Hermione trailed her wet fingers down her stomach straight to her pussy and brought one of the fingers to circle her entrance that was still damp from before. Then she gathered some of her wetness onto both fingers as she slid them back up to her clit this time. Not wasting any time, she began to rub herself at a moderate pace.

Her breathing was speeding up, and she decided to get this done with as quickly as possible, knowing that it would be difficult for her to stay silent. There was something that always made her address the wizards when she was feeling good, and she was nervous that she would do that even now. Her other hand raised her shirt up and began to toy with her breasts, though she found that it didn't feel as good when she did it, compared to the wizards.

Evan and Regulus were both staring in rapture at each move that her body made; the twitching of her thighs when she would rub notably harder on her clit, her hands grasping onto her breasts, and her small fingers plucking and tugging at her nipples.

Regulus found himself moving closer to her lower body, and before he knew it, he was practically breathing against her cunt.

"Regulus, just don't touch her, remember."

Regulus nodded, and Hermione let out a moan at the thought of the young wizard so close to her heat. Biting her lip to stop her from pleading for his touch, she turned her head to look at Evan who was sitting up on his knees; his hand was stroking his cock. She whimpered at the vision of the wizard, and Evan's eyes stared intensely into hers.

"Hmmm? What was that kitten? Do you like watching me touch myself?"

Hermione opened her pink lips to reply but closed them when she realized what she had almost done.

Evan let out a minuscule chuckle at her restraint.

All of the sudden, she felt movement from where Regulus was laying before and looked up to see the wizard doing the same thing as Evan; only now he was stroking himself right by her pussy. All he had to do was move a few inches forward, and she would be able to feel his hot skin rubbing against hers.

"Fuck… You look so hot, Hermione." The younger wizard breathed out in a high pitched voice.

Hermione couldn't stop her hips as they moved and bucked in attempt to bring herself closer to him.

"Uh-uh… No touching, kitten."

"B-but I-" She stopped herself quickly.

"You, what? Tell us, kitten."

Hermione could feel herself reaching her peak, and replied in a single breath.

"I want you…"

"You want us?  _Only_ , want?"

Hermione's fingers were rubbing herself faster, and her hands were clutched so tightly onto her breast when she finally felt herself let go.

"Damnit… I need you both! I fucking need you, please. Oh, Gods, I'm cumming…"

Hermione's body was writhing on the bed, attempting to prolong her orgasm by rubbing herself harder. Her hand that was previously fondling her breasts was now reaching out towards Evan's cock while pleading with the other wizard. "Fuck me, Regulus. Please!"

Regulus looked up to Evan, getting a nod of confirmation, as he watched Evan move himself closer to the erotic witch.

Hermione could feel the tip of Regulus' cock rubbing against her, gathering up her wetness and coating himself in it. Dragging her eyes away from Evan's hand moving languidly on his dick, she tried her hardest to keep her eyes locked with his.

Evan watched as Hermione's tongue licked her lips, "Evan, I want to taste you. Please…"

"Is that what you want? You want to suck my dick while Reggie fucks you?"

"Yes… Please."

Suddenly she heard Regulus speak in a demanding voice, though she could hear his voice crack. "Tell me you need me, Hermione. Both of us."

Hermione was stunned by the younger's words and looked over to see Evan's reaction to the command. The older wizard held the same smirk that he had been flashing all night, and his eyes sparkled mischievously when he replied. "You heard him, kitten."

Hermione growled in annoyance and gritted out between her teeth a reply. "Fine! I need you, okay?! I need you, Evan Rosier, and I need you, Regulus Black. Now, will you please shag me already?!"

Regulus let out a relieved sigh and finally pushed himself fully into Hermione's heat. "Fuck…" He muttered out.

Hermione's chin was grabbed by Evan, and she raised her hand up to drip onto the arm that he was holding her head with. Opening her mouth, she felt the wizard's hot cock touch her lip, and she stuck out her tongue and licked the head of his leaking tip. She lapped up the precum that was dripping out and grabbed his shaft with her hand, as she pumped it a few times before her mouth ascended all the way around his dick. Her tongue circled him, and Hermione wrapped her lips over the head, sucking on him zealously.

Evan's eyes closed at the feeling of her warm and wet mouth working around him. His hand slid into her hair and clutched her loose curls. He was feeling so many things at that point.  _Fuck, this is barmy… I just came back from being bloody dead, and now I have this brilliant witch who wants me just as much as I want her. Salazar, I didn't even know that I needed her as much as I do, but it's entirely correct. She is intelligent, beautiful, brave, understanding, seductive, and ambitious. She's a heroine, for fuck sake. She saved the wizarding world from ruins…_

 _And now she's mine. She's ours, all of us. I can never go back from this; from her. Gods… I feel as though I need to protect her; like I need to cherish her. I don't love her, not yet… But I will. It's not just a possibility; I know that soon I will inevitably fall_ _100%_ _in love with Hermione Granger, and the insane thing is that I'm okay with it. Wow, I really am mental…_

The contemplative wizard was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the little witch take her mouth entirely off of him. Looking down, he watched as she continued to pump him with her hand, but instead, she leaned up to grab Regulus by his black curls, pulling him down to her face. Evan looked upon the scene in rapture as Hermione brought her nose up to brush against the other wizard's.

"Regulus…" She breathed out; her hot breath whisked across him. The wizard's hips stuttered at her voice calling his name and quickly tried to mask the reaction by thrusting into her at a quicker pace. "Tell me, whose are you? Do it, Regulus."

The boy seemed to lose all breath at that moment, and he had to pant out his response with great effort. "Y-yours. Shite, Hermione, I'm yours…" Regulus said, his control finally letting go, chasing his high with each plunge that he took into her tight pussy.

Hermione smiled at this and brought her lips up to his as she kissed him deeply, breaking the kiss too soon for the wizard's liking. "You're so good, Regulus. Did you know that? You're always so good for me… You're smart and brave, and you're so handsome Regulus. You make me feel so good."

Regulus was dripping with sweat from the exertion, and his eyes were screwed shut, moaning at her words. "I'm about t-to..." He slipped out in between his moans.

Hermione's hand in his hair loosened and began to run through the black curls instead. "Cum, Regulus. Fill me up, okay? I'm so proud of you, baby. You're such a good boy." Hermione said with a gentle voice.

Something about the words set Regulus off, and he groaned loudly as his head fell forward into her neck; his hips stuttering as he held himself deep inside of her.

Evan had taken to thrusting himself into her hand, that periodically stopped stroking him as she spoke to Regulus. Evan caught Hermione's eye and gave her a hard look. "Open your mouth, kitten. As much as I'd hate to admit it, that was fucking hot, and I need to cum,  _now_."

She complied with the demand and stuck out her tongue as the wizard pumped himself into her mouth. Letting out a deep groan, Evan came, eyeing a small amount that had dripped onto her plush lips, and was slowly rolling down over her chin and onto her neck.

Bending down, Evan let out a growl and lapped up the cum, his tongue dragging itself up her neck and all the way to her lips; pushing it into her mouth, their tongues battling against each other as he kissed her. The kiss grew slower and slower as each minute passed until they were lightly pecking each other. Evan pulled back and looked over to the other wizard, only to see the back of Regulus' head, which was still buried into her neck. His breathing had evened out already, and Evan's eyebrows raised at his observation.

Hermione looked up at Evan with a smirk. "I think he was tired…"

"Hmm… Right… And did I detect, a praise kink, by any chance? You cheeky witch."

"It was simply a hunch… Besides, nothing I said was a lie. Regulus is all of those things, plus more."

"And what about me kitten? A bloke is feeling left out."

Hermione giggled at his sad face and pulled him down beside her on the bed. "You were very much a mystery, Evan Rosier. But, I think I've got you figured out now."

"Oh, do you?" He questioned in surprise.

"Yes. You are wonderful. You're quiet, but in a good way; just sitting and observing every single thing that you can. You are hard-cut and very self-assured. You know your faults, and you are aware of your triumphs. I've never seen you in action, but I am well aware that you are known to be a phenomenal dueler, and I don't think I would ever want to go up against you. I mean, I probably could, but you're trained in spells that I wouldn't ever think to use." Evan let out a smile at her praises and stared at her in admiration as she continued. "You are one of the guys that I know I can depend on. I trust you… And it's not just because of the soul bond. There's something about you that makes me feel validated and just, normal, I guess. You make me feel like nothing has changed. You treat me as if I were just another person to you; like we are equals. It often shocks me at how well we get along. When I'm alone with you like this, and even with Regulus here as well, you're intriguing. You're so different in here than out there in the real world, or in reality. You are special."

"I think I prefer being mysterious," Evan replied.

"Oh, be quiet." Hermione scoffed.

"Now, I believe you have not  _finished_  yet, have you? Shall I fix that?" Evan asked, his hand traveling down her abdomen.

"Yes please." She breathed out.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione and the wizards sat at the dining room table, looking at two empty seats in confusion. "Where are Fabian and Gideon? Did anyone see them come back?"

The replies that Hermione received were nothing more than a simple shake of each wizard's head.

"Tillie?" Hermione asked into the silent room.

"Yes, Missy Hermione?" The small elf replied.

"Are you aware if Fabian and Gideon Prewett came back, and are in the house?"

"No, theys did not come homes."

"Alright, thank you, Tillie. That will be all."

Hermione looked back to the rest of the wizards and nodded reluctantly. "We don't have to wait for them. Go on ahead and eat."

"Finally…" Antonin groaned. Hermione rolled her eyes at his words, and slowly began to pick at her food.  _It just doesn't feel right, not having them here._

* * *

Hermione was sitting in the living room, reading a book and attempting to relax, when the twins stepped out of the floo. Quickly she jumped up from the couch and walked over to both of the wizards and wrapped both of them together in a hug between her too short arms. A broad smile lit her face, and her eyes looked elated to see them.

"Gods I've been worried sick about you guys! How was it?! What did Molly say? Merlin, tell me everything."

The two wizards smiled at her excitement and how genuinely interested she was in how their visit went. Hermione grabbed both of their hands and dragged them to sit on either side of her on the couch.

"Well, I'm waiting. So, what happened?!" She said this as her head looked from left to right rapidly so that she could see both of the men with almost every word that she spoke.

Fabian looked over at his brother and nodded at him to begin telling Hermione what she so desperately wanted to know.

"It was great. Of course, Molly was slightly overwhelmed, at first, so she did spend roughly ten minutes sobbing her bloody eyes out, and then she moved on to the yelling; but, after that it was good. She called the whole family over to come and see us, which is no surprise," the wizard laughed at the memory. "Blimey, Hermione, they're perfect. And seeing everyone again, it was brilliant. They've all grown so much compared to the last time we saw them… Bill, Charlie, Percy, all of them… It's crazy. They remembered us, too. It was incredible, seeing all of their faces when they realized who we were. That feeling; it's impossible to explain."

Hermione stared with rapture at Gideon; smiling at his words and the awed look that he held on his face. She turned her head to look at his brother who was nodding along the whole time and smiling as well. She still gripped their hands within hers and squeezed them with happiness.

"I'm glad. You both deserve this; seeing your family again and reconnecting with them all. I can't even imagine how happy all of them were…"

Both of the twins chuckled lowly at this, and then looked up at each other with a hint sadness on their faces. Fabian opened his mouth and reluctantly began to speak. "When we were there, it was great. They were all there, you know? Except for Fred… And we knew that something had happened to him after you said that he was dead when you mixed me up with him… When we saw George apparate in, all alone without little Freddie, it was surreal. We were so nervous that he would be angry at seeing us, and feel hurt because we were back, yet his brother was still gone. But, George just smiled and hugged us both so tightly. We were a bit confused, to be honest. But he told us that he had spoken to you a few nights ago, and you had told him everything that had happened so that he would be prepared to see us both. And he was amazing… It's like he's just another part of Gid and I, you know? So, basically, what we wanted to say was thank you, for doing that for Georgie. It could have gone terribly if he hadn't known that we were back, and if we had stirred up a bad memory with him. Thank you, for thinking about our family like that. I know you're basically apart of the Weasley family anyway, and you technically are part of our family too,  _Lady Prewett_ , but it still means the world to us that you did that."

Hermione blushed when the wizard had referred to her as their wife, making both of the men laugh at her embarrassment.

"You're cute, did you know that?" Fabian said to Hermione, and she attempted to hide her face behind her hair, but Gideon pushed it back and winked at her. "That brother of mine is right, Hermione."

Both of them laughed and leaned forward at the same time to plant a kiss on both her cheeks. They pulled back smirking, and Hermione was trying hard to fight the blush from spreading throughout her whole face and ears.

Just then, the twin on her left side, Gideon, seemed to remember something and straightened his body as he looked at her with a humored expression on his face. "Bollocks, we almost forgot Fab… Remember the huge row?!"

Fabian had a look of realization, and a grin took over his lips. "Bloody hell, you've gotta tell her mate. It was priceless!"

Hermione looked confused at their separate conversation and was interested in what they were talking about. "What fight?"

Both of the twins smirked, and Gideon relented and began to tell her about it all in a satisfied manner. "Okay, so we're all sitting at the table just chatting, right? And suddenly, Georgie throws a biscuit at his sister's shoulder to get her attention. Of course, Molly is livid at her son for doing that, but George begins to speak before she can go off on him. He looks at Ginny, who- mind you- is sitting there, literally snarling at her brother for throwing food at her. George goes 'So, Ginny, spoke to Hermione lately, have you?' and Ginny looked so confused at first. Finally, when she understood what he was saying, she dropped her head onto the table and groaned. This interested Molly, and she asked what George had meant. Ginny just sat there silently, so George told her everything. I swear the table was proper silent the entire time. After George had finished speaking, you should have seen their faces… They looked completely horrified. Ginny just looked down into her lap while everyone was staring at her. I felt a little bad for her because we didn't say anything to defend you either, you know? And we're sorry for that, Hermione. We should have said something, but we didn't know what to say. But anyways, Molly completely blew her top."

George cleared his throat and began to mimic the high pitched shrieking of Molly. "'Ginevra Weasley, what did you say to that girl?! Do you realize how much Hermione Granger has done for us? I can't say that I can forgive all of those wizards, but she has brought back my brothers! I am so disappointed in you Ginny. I did not raise you to speak to people like that, especially someone who is basically our family. I expect you to apologize her.'"

Hermione looked a little guilty that Ginny had gotten yelled at by Molly like that, but it was nice to know that Molly and the rest of the family weren't angry with her. The twins noticed the guilt on her face and quickly sought to dispel the thought.

"Hermione, you have nothing to feel guilty about. What Ginny said that day, well, she just shouldn't have said anything, to begin with. She shouldn't have hit you either…" Gideon gazed into Hermione's eyes and lifted a hand to lay against the small bruise that still sat lightly right on top of her cheekbone. "I'm sorry, Hermione." Hermione closed her round eyes and nuzzled her face into the wizard's hand.

She could hear the fabric of the couch rustle against the wizard's robes, and she took a deep breath before she felt a pair of warm lips press against hers. It wasn't sloppy and rushed, but soft and caring. They broke apart, and Hermione was surprised how much the gentle kiss had affected her. She could feel her heartbeat accelerating, and she had to take a big breath.

The sound of a throat clearing had broken her out of her daze, and she turned around to see Fabian sitting next to her with a raised brow in amusement. She rolled her eyes and leaned in close to his face to repeat the kiss that his brother had just given her. She raised her hand towards his face and ran her thumb around his ear and then into his bright orange hair as she combed it with her fingers.

Finally, she had leaned close enough for their cheeks to touch and she tilted her head and gently caught his lips within hers. She could feel Fabian blow out a warm breath through his nose, and after a short while she had backed up away from him, and slowly opened her eyes to see him softly smiling at her.

She sighed in content when suddenly she heard a pecking noise come from the window that was closest to her. Sitting there was a familiar owl, and she suddenly stood up and ran over to the creature. Summoning a piece of food from the kitchen close by, she handed it to the bird and took the letter. Opening it, she suddenly remembered that she was late to a meeting.

"Tillie!"

"How can I's help you, Missy Hermione?" The small elf asked in her high pitched voice.

"Could you please bring me Sirius Black?" Hermione asked. I can't believe I forgot about this…

Tillie popped away with a short nod, and Hermione turned to look at the two confused twins. "I'm so sorry… I forgot that I had made plans with someone, regarding Sirius. I will be back soon, though. Hopefully within the next hour or so." She said quickly as she turned to give them each a thorough kiss.

Fabian had her body pulled against him when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Pulling away with one last kiss on Fabian's cheek, she turned to face an annoyed Sirius Black. Rolling her eyes at his blatant jealousy, she walked up to him.

"Come with me. Don't ask questions. There is someone that you need to meet." She told the grumpy wizard, with a cold tone. He furrowed his brows in confusion but wrapped his arm through Hermione's when she offered it to him.

When the twisting feeling faded away, Sirius found himself standing in front of a quaint house. It seemed somewhat familiar to him, but he couldn't remember why. Hermione pulled her arm away from him as if she had been burnt, and Sirius felt disappointment blossom in his chest.  _How am I ever going to make it up to her? She can't even bear to speak to me, much less to even touch me._

He watched as Hermione went to knock on the door, and it opened in a flash. A woman who was slightly older than him, with dark black hair the same as his, pulled Hermione into a hug. "Hermione! I was hoping you wouldn't have forgotten our meeting! You must have gotten my letter, yes?"

"Yes I did, I am so sorry for being so late. I've been so busy… Well, you'll understand why in a few minutes I am sure. You look good Andy. It's been awhile, I've missed you and Teddy." Hermione laughed with a bright smile on.

"We've missed you as well, Hermione. Oh, do come in please!" Hermione nodded and turned around to look at Sirius who was standing in the background in silence.  _What is going on? Why did Hermione bring me here?_

"Well, I'll be damned… Sirius, you're really back. It's good to see you." The older witch said with affection.

"Pardon me, but who are you, again?"

"You don't remember your favorite cousin? I mean, I know I've gotten older, but I didn't believe that I was completely unrecognizable. Hermione, have you been lying to me when you tell me that I look good?!"

"Come on, Andy, you know I would never lie to you. He just doesn't remember, why don't you remind him?"

"Oh well alright… I wanted to let him suffer for a little bit longer, but I suppose you are right." The witch walked up to Sirius and held out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Andromeda Tonks. Your cousin, Andromeda. Ring a bell?"

Sirius' mouth dropped open in shock. "Andromeda?! That's you? Merlin, I haven't seen you in so long…"

"Well, yes, you haven't exactly been around much. No matter, please come inside will you?"

Sirius nodded and followed after the witch. He attempted to catch Hermione's eyes, but she refused to look at him. They were all sat in the sitting room, when a picture suddenly caught Sirius' attention, causing him to let out a blatant gasp.

"Moony… That sly dog, he really married Nymphadora?! Who would have guessed…"

Andromeda gave a sad smile, and Sirius wondered what that was for. "Yes, they got married in July of 1997. After you died. She was good for Remus, while he was grieving your loss. They were a lovely couple."

" _Were_? What do you mean?" Sirius tilted his head in confusion.

Hermione looked over at the man with a sad look. "Sirius, I already told you that Remus had died in the battle, but Tonks… She died too. They died together. Leaving behind… Well, your cousin will show you, right Andy?"

The older witch nodded and walked away, leaving just Hermione and Sirius in the sitting room.

"Did she love him?" Sirius whispered out into the silence.

Hermione felt her eyes water at the broken sound of his voice, and memories of the departed couple flooded her.

"Yes… Yes, she loved him very much. He loved her, too. They were beautiful together," she said in a weak tone.

The room was silent after her last comment, and Sirius had to sit down from the news that he had received. He was startled when the voice of a child sounded out.

"Miney Miney! Auntie Miney!"

Hermione had crouched down as the little boy jumped up into her arms in sheer joy. "My Teddy bear! How have you been little man? I've missed you!"

"Miney, I can read now! Nana and me have been practicing a lot!"

"Ah, 'Nana and I.' You're getting so good at your grammar, though. And now you can read? That's amazing Teddy; I am so proud of you." Hermione replied, running a hand through his blue hair.

"Thanks, Auntie Miney." The small boy said with a big smile, his arms wrapping around her neck and hugging her tightly.

"Miney, who is that old guy sitting behind you? He should close his mouth; Nana said it's bad manners to do that." He attempted to whisper at the end, but everyone in the room heard him.

Andromeda covered her mouth to hide her smile, and Hermione gave a small laugh at the young boy's innocence. "You see, Teddy bear; I brought him with just to meet you. You know that little, stuffed dog that you have; the black one? Remember what your daddy told you about it?"

"Yes, my doggy Pads! He said that his very best friend could turn into a doggy just like mine. He told me his name was Pads, but don't tell daddy that I still call him Snuffles too… I like that name more."

"I won't tell, I promise. You can tell him one of these nights when you speak to him and your mum before bedtime. Sound like a deal?"

"Okay, Miney. It's a deal."

"Alright, good. Now, that doggy, the one who was your daddy's best friend; that's him right there." Hermione said, as she pointed her hand over to Sirius, whose face had trails of tears running down it.

Hermione made eye contact and nodded her head at him, confirming his suspicions. Another tear fell at her gesture, and the little boy began squirming in her arms, wanting to be put down. Hermione set him on the ground, and righted his shirt that had gotten twisted in his movement, and watched as he ran his small legs over to the shocked wizard.

"Why are you crying? Don't be sad." Teddy had set both of his hands on the knees of the wizard and had a sad face on as well.

Sirius shook his head with a smile. "I'm not sad, I'm happy… I'm thrilled to meet you. I am Sirius Black, and what is your name?"

Teddy stood straight, and lifted one of his hands out to shake Sirius'. Hermione and Andromeda both smiled at the grown-up gesture. "My name is Edward Remus Lupin, but I like to be called Teddy. Wanna see a magic trick?" He asked excitedly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Teddy. Of course, I'd love to see your magic trick."

Teddy smiled and stared intensely into Sirius' eyes when his hair began to turn black and curly, and his eyes changed into the same grey as the wizard's.

"See, see! I look like you, don't I?"

Sirius nodded, eyes wide in amazement. "Extraordinary… You've got your mother's talents."

Teddy's smile seemed to brighten when he suddenly looked as if he had just gotten the best idea in the world. "Can you do it?! Can you turn into my doggy? Pretty please!"

Sirius looked hesitant but agreed as he stood up, and his body morphed into that of a black canine.

"Nana, Miney! Did you see that? It's him! It's really him!"

Both witches looked at the boy with adorning faces and watched as the boy moved towards Sirius and began to pet him on the head. "Wow… You're so cool Mr. Sirius! Nana, can we go play outside?"

Andromeda looked towards Hermione in questioning, and she shrugged her shoulders in reply.

"Sure baby. Your Auntie and I will be out there in a minute. Be careful, okay?"

The little boy nodded and jumped up and down clapping his hands. "Come on Pads!"

Sirius barked, and both him and Teddy sped off running to the back door.

Andromeda turned slowly to look at the younger witch standing before her and lifted a thinly shaped brow. Hermione's body seemed to deflate at her questioning face. With a sigh, she spoke out in defeat. "Seven, Andy. I brought back seven. Sirius, Regulus, the Prewett twins, Evan Rosier, Rabastan, and Dolohov… I've really messed up, Andy…"

"Oh, you poor girl… Come, let us sit on the porch and have tea, yes?"

Hermione followed the witch to a small table that was set up right by the back door. As she sat herself down, she turned her head to watch Sirius running after Teddy, the little boy laughing happily.

"Who knows?" Andromeda asked.

"Harry, Ginny, the Weasleys, Draco Malfoy, and you."

"And how did they take it?"

"Everyone was fine, besides Harry and,  _especially_  Ginny. She hit me… Told me that it was my fault, that I was supposed to be the smart one, and that I should have let them all stay dead. Harry, he just sat there… Sirius and the twins just sat there too. They watched it all, like a bloody Quidditch match, and said nothing.  _Did_  nothing. I had a row with Sirius later that night… He told me that maybe Ginny was right about what she had said." Hermione watched as the woman shook her head in disappointment. "I cut him off after that. He was supposed to be closest to me… To watch over me, and to make me feel better about all of this. I needed him to be my friend, or at least a friendly face amongst strangers, and ex-death eaters. But, he wasn't. Oddly enough, it seems like his little brother was more fit for the role, I suppose."

"Little Reggie…" Andromeda said with a wistful look. "How is he doing, Hermione?"

Hermione couldn't stop the smile that came over her face, as she thought about the young wizard.

"You like him."

Hermione nodded at Andromeda's statement.

The older witch had a distant look in her eyes as she spoke. "I have to say; I am a bit surprised. Growing up, Sirius was the charmer… Regulus, he was more of the brainy one. Which, now that I am thinking about it, reminds me a lot of you. So, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. You'll be good for each other, I think. And the rest? How are they?"

"The twins," Hermione started, "they're just like Fred and George. Finding a difference between the set of them is hard. Evan Rosier, he's… He's a good person. Quiet, emotionless on the outside, but he is a good person. Rabastan, he is confusing… He's been trying, recently. I can tell. But, when I first met him, it was as if we were still in the war. Even Antonin was somewhat closer to me than Rabastan was at first, and Antonin almost  _killed_  me! Speaking of Dolohov, he is… Merlin, Andy, he's fucking passionate. He's hot; I can't even deny it. There is a spark between us, and it's so explosive and so prominent… But he's still unknown. I don't know his reasoning nor his true feelings, or if he even has any, for that matter… And Sirius, well, you already know how he is. Spends most of his time with Harry, back at Grimmauld."

"So… Who have you shagged, if you have? Wait, I know for sure you shagged Regulus. My bets are on Dolohov, as well."

"Well, Regulus was correct. But, Antonin, no, I haven't shagged him yet. We've messed around, but that's the extent. I've only shagged one other person. Evan."

"Rosier? Humor, an old witch, will you? Tell me, how was it?"

Hermione felt her face heat up at the question and cleared her throat before she started to speak. "With Regulus, it was sweet. Shy, for sure. It was his first time… But, I wouldn't have picked anyone else to go first. Even if Sirius hadn't buggered everything up, Regulus and I had a strong connection from the beginning. There's something about him that is different than the rest of them. Evan, on the other hand, he was sensual. It was intense."

"Ah… To be young. And, what are you going to do about Sirius? Surely you're not going to forgive him yet, are you?" The black haired witch asked.

"Andy, darling, do I really look like I will forgive him anytime soon? I brought him here because you needed to hear the full story, and I went to visit Snape awhile ago… And I thought about Remus. I told him that I had brought Sirius back, and said that I would take care of him this time; that I would keep Sirius safe. Of course, I had said all of this before Sirius had said what he did, but I remembered Teddy when I had spoken to him. I couldn't leave Sirius out of something this big, you know? Remus was basically his brother, and he has a right to know the son of his best friend. I would never take that away from him, no matter how angry I am with him. Family comes first, and you and Teddy are his family."

"And what about you, Hermione? Who will be there for you?"

"I will just have to make my own, I suppose. Harry...  _he_  was my family. The Weasleys, they are family, but they aren't  _real_  family. I know this doesn't make much sense, but I have always considered Harry Potter as my real family. I love him, and I would do anything for him. I  _have_  done anything for him. I've bled for him; I dedicated half of my life to protecting him and fighting for him. I understand that Ginny is his wife, but as I said- family comes first. I thought I was family to him, but I guess I was wrong. I haven't seen him since that day. He hasn't tried to make any contact with me, whatsoever. I guess I just expected more from him, that's all."

There was silence between them, and Hermione turned towards Andromeda and looked at her with a broken look on her face, as tears gathered in her eyes. "Andy?" She asked as the first tear fell.

"When do I know when I've had enough? That I can't do anymore? Because I think I'm getting there; I think I'm reaching my limit… I act like I have everything under control, but I'm not so sure that I do, Andy." Her lip was trembling, and she quickly bit down on it, to hide the quiver. Tears were now rolling down her face, uncontrolled, as she spoke once more.

"Sometimes… Sometimes, I think that it should have been  _me_ , dying on that battlefield, instead of everyone else." She whispered, her voice breaking in and out.

"Me too, sweetheart. Me too." Andromeda replied.

* * *

Regulus was walking around the house frantically searching for Hermione.  _Goddamnit, witch. Where are you?_

He heard footsteps coming up behind him and turned around to face Evan. "You can feel it too, right?"

Regulus nodded. "It's like someone has stabbed me in the chest… From the inside…"

Evan nodded, agreeing with the wizard's description. "Do you know where she is? I thought she would be with you…"

Regulus' black curls moved with his shaking head. "No, I've been looking all over for her. Where do you think she went?"

"Who fucking knows."

* * *

"Hermione, we must not dwell on what could have been. We are here, at this time and this moment, and we have to continue on. Life is tough, Hermione. It always has been, and it will likely always be that way. But you are just as tough; I know that for a fact. It is okay to be sad, but at the end of the day, Hermione Granger would never let life kick her down. You have never let it happen before, so why would you start now?"

"As for Sirius and Harry, amongst others; they will come around. A day will come when they will need your help, and you won't be there. It will kick them in the ass, and they'll realize how stupid they have been. Everything will work out in the end."

Hermione nodded, and Andromeda leaned over and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the tear streaks from the young girl's face.

"There. Even with puffy eyes and a red nose, you're still beautiful. I know you've never heard me say this, but I do love you, Hermione. Teddy loves you as well, of course. But, I just wanted you to know, that I do care about you. And, just between us, I think that a lot more people love you than you think. They just aren't aware of it yet." She said with a wink.

Almost on cue, Teddy and Sirius walked over to them, interrupting their talk. Sirius had changed back into human form and was looking between the two witches with curiosity. Teddy waited for the wizard to sit in a chair, and climbed himself up onto Sirius' lap. Sirius was surprised at the little boy's seating arrangement, but was flattered nonetheless, and had a smile stretched across his face.

Teddy looked towards the younger witch and motioned for her to come close to him. "Miney, I have to tell you a secret."

Hermione was confused, but stood anyway, and bent down so that Teddy could whisper into her ear. Her hair was in the way of his small little face, and she looked up in shock as Sirius automatically reached his hand out, and tucked the hair behind her ear so the boy could get in closer. Her eyes turned away from the wizard, and she waited for Teddy to begin telling her his 'secret.'

"Miney, I like him. Will you bring him over more often? And, maybe you can ask Nana if I could have a sleepover with you guys! Wouldn't that be fun, Auntie? Pretty please, can we do that?" Hermione let out a sigh at the idea.  _I can't just say no to Teddy… Besides, who would it hurt? The two boys will play together most of the time anyway…_

"Okay, Teddy bear. But, you've gotta give me a little bit of time to...plan... everything out, alright bud?"

Teddy nodded and moved his mouth away from her ear, to plant a big kiss right on her cheek. "Thank you, Miney!"

Hermione laughed and went to sit back down. Andromeda looked at her, expecting an answer. Hermione shook her head and put a finger up to her lips. "It's a secret! I have to tell you in private, right Teddy?"

"Mhm! Nana, you have be patience!"

"'Patient' Teddy bear," Hermione corrected once again.

"Yes, patient!"

"Alright, alright. I won't ask!" Andy said, putting her hands up in defeat. Turning around towards the wizard and her grandson, she spoke in her 'Nana voice.' "Teddy, go wash your hands, and you can show Sirius your room after that."

Teddy nodded and jumped down from the Wizard's lap, and tugged on his hand, pulling him into the house.

Once they were both gone, Hermione spoke. "He said he likes Sirius, and he wants me to bring him over more often. He also said he wants to come over and have a sleepover with Sirius and I. He wanted me to ask you." Andromeda nodded in contemplation.

"Where are you both staying?"

Hermione sighed and was reluctant to answer, nervous for the reaction of the older witch. "Rosier Manor. But, if you aren't comfortable with him staying there, then I can find us another place. I suppose we could go to Grimmauld Place."

"It's not that I don't trust you Hermione, but some of those wizards are not the  _safest_  to be around…" Andromeda said with a touch of guilt.

"I understand. You could stay over too. You could invite Narcissa, Draco as well if he would like… Or, I could have Regulus and Evan stay with Teddy, Sirius, and I. I am bound to the house, so it will not allow anyone to hurt me, and I would like to think that it would apply to those I would be with…"

"Rosier bound you to his house? How interesting… He must care for you, to pull out protection like  _that_." Hermione was a little confused at what the witch had told her.  _Evan had made it seem like it wasn't a big deal, but was it actually?_

"Anyways," Andromeda continued, "do you think you could take Antonin and Rabastan somewhere else? I know Regulus would never hurt someone who is his blood, and Evan is distantly related, as well… But those other two…"

"I can take them somewhere, but I will need to stay with them… I can't leave them alone." Hermione shook her head.

"Listen, I know this sounds crazy for me to say, but I really don't think anything bad will happen. Antonin and Rabastan, they act under orders. That is all they have known, and besides, they spend most of their time in their rooms anyway."

A sad smile showed on Hermione's face when she spoke again. "But, that house, it needs someone like Teddy in it. Even for just a few minutes… To have a little kid who is as energetic as Teddy, it would be amazing. For Evan and Regulus as well. Hell, even the twins can stay with him too." Andy nodded at the suggestion.

"I know that I sound like I am coming up with any excuse possible, but I just don't want people to be afraid of coming into that house. It isn't evil, Andy. Right now, that is my  _home_."

"I mean, you saw the way that Sirius was today with Teddy. He was so happy…  _I_  was happy to see him. I love Teddy, and I would never let anything bad happen to him," Hermione said, reminded of how much Teddy means to her.

"How about we do this; Right now, you and Teddy come over to the manor, and I will apparate us. The twins are there, and they will be there, most likely, to greet us. That's an additional two wizards. You can walk around a bit, explore the house, and see what you think. Then you can decide if you want to let him stay, or if you want to take him back home. The sleepover doesn't have to be tonight, Andy. And if we end up seeing either Antonin or Rabastan, then I will handle them. Please, trust me to handle this, Andromeda."

"Hermione, I just don't know…"

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. Grabbing the hands of the witch in front of her, she spoke gently. "It's okay to say no. I want you to do what you think is best, for both you and Teddy. I am only suggesting this because, well… I told them all that the war was over, you know? I said that there is peace in the wizarding world, but they haven't even been able to  _witness_  it… They don't really leave the house. They only have each other, and the bloody portraits. Your mother is one of the worst, right behind Evan's father of course."

"My mother's portrait is there? You've just upped the ante, Hermione. I can just imagine her face if she saw me. Priceless."

"Oh trust me, I've already given her a small piece of my mind."

"Did you really? Oh,  _this_  I need to hear about."

"Well-"

They were broken apart by the sound of laughter from the small child, as Sirius had him sitting on top of his shoulders. "Look at how high up I am Nana!" He giggled.

Sirius stopped in front of them, and grabbed Teddy off of his shoulders, and set him down onto the ground. "I think it's time that your Auntie and I get going. I will try and see you again as soon as possible, right bud?"

Teddy stuck out his bottom lip and turned around to Andromeda, who was eyeing him like she knew exactly what was about to happen. "Nana, do they really have to leave so soon? I want to play with Sirius more…"

"I know baby, but he's got to go back home to his brother and friends. He can come over another day." Hermione nodded when Andromeda said this, but she also felt a bit sad that Andy had made her decision, and had chosen to decline.

Teddy's face lit up at what his grandmother had said about Sirius. Turning to the tall wizard, he began to tug slightly on Sirius' sleeve. "You have a brother? I want a brother… Can he be my brother too, Sirius?"

"Well, he's your third cousin, Teddy," Sirius replied with a thoughtful look on his face.

He had never really thought much about Regulus. When they were little, Sirius loved to play with Reggie, but once they got older, he became too busy to play. Seeing Teddy so excited at the prospect of having Regulus be his brother, surprised Sirius.

"Wait, that means he's related to me, right?! Nana, I want to go meet him! I want more family Nana… Then I have more people to play with! Pleeeease? I'll be good, I promise!"

"I… I suppose we can go and meet him, but then we need to come home, alright? We can't stay there all day." Andromeda relented.

Sirius looked just as excited as Teddy was, and Hermione gave Andy a thankful smile. "Shall we go now? Or do you need to grab anything first?"

Andromeda shook her head, and Hermione stuck out her arm to the witch, who wrapped hers around it. Next, she stuck out her other arm towards Sirius who was holding Teddy tightly in his arms.

"Ready Teddy bear?" Hermione asked.

"Ready Miney!"

And with that, they disappeared out of thin air.

* * *

Hermione heard the sound of all four of them landing on the ground, and looked up to see the twins sitting on the couch in the same spots as before.

"Wooaah! Auntie Miney, those two look like the same person! How are there  _two_  of them?!"

Hermione looked at Teddy, about to explain, when the twins stood up with huge grins and walked over to Sirius, who was still holding Teddy.

"Good afternoon, Sir. I am Gideon," one of the twins spoke, bowing dramatically at the waist.

"And, I am Fabian. How may we help you today?"

"I'm coming to meet more of my new family! Are you my family, too?" Teddy asked in delight.

"Well, what is your name?"

"I am Edward Remus Lupin, but everyone calls me Teddy."

"Ah, well, unfortunately, we are not related, Sir Teddy. Who is this lovely lady that is accompanying you, may we ask?" They said, looking at Andromeda.

Hermione watched as she lifted a brow at them, wearing an expression fit for anyone in the Black family.

"Andromeda Tonks, née Black, I suppose…"

A smile grew on Fabian's face when he heard her name. "Andromeda… Yes, of course, we remember you!"

"And might I say, you look just as elegant as you did back in Hogwarts," Gideon added in, just like Fred and George did. Hermione would still get occasionally surprised at how alike the pairs were.

"Good luck with these two, Hermione…" The older witch mumbled, not use to the joking mentality of the Prewett twins.

Hermione smirked at the quiet woman in retaliation. "Oh please, Andy. I saw that blush-"

Suddenly Hermione's words were cut off by the sound of someone yelling her name, and footsteps that were running towards her.

"Hermione! Where the bloody hell were you?!" Regulus said, just before he threw his arms around her, embracing her tightly. "I was looking everywhere for you; I was worried. Are you okay? What happened? I could feel you through the bond… Are you hurt?"

"Regulus, I am fine. I'm not hurt, I was just a little sad, alright? It's okay now; I am sorry to worry you like that. I forgot about the emot-"

Suddenly Regulus had her cheeks held in each hand, and his lips were on hers, giving her a deep and longing kiss; filled with concern and relief. The kiss ended, and he whispered quietly between the two of them. "Thank Merlin you are okay. Gods, don't scare me like that again, alright? I hated feeling like that, and not knowing where you were."

"Are you my family?"

The wizard that was holding Hermione suddenly popped his head up when he heard the voice. Looking towards it, he cocked his head to the side in wonder. "Who are you?"

Teddy went to open his mouth, and Hermione waited for him to introduce himself the same way he always did.

"I am Edward Remus Lupin, but everyone calls me Teddy. Who are you?"

"Lupin? Sirius, wasn't that one of your friends?" Regulus asked, remembering his brother and the group of misfits that he was apart of. He never liked them much, especially Potter. Lupin was never that bad; he had to admit. He was studious, and he was never rude to Regulus when they were at Hogwarts. Although, he didn't like any of Sirius' mates that much, overall.

When he finally was old enough to go to Hogwarts, he was so excited to be with his older brother. Little did he know, once Regulus was sorted, his brother would barely pay any attention to him; getting worse with each year that passed.

"Yes! Sirius was my daddy's best friend! Sirius is my new family! He told me he has a brother, are you his brother?"

Regulus was confused when the boy said that Sirius was his 'new family.'

"Yes…"

"Can you be my brother too?" Hermione's heart melted at the hopeful undertone in the young boy's voice.

"I am still failing to see the relation here…" Regulus said slowly.  _What is this little kid talking about? He quite literally has blue hair… We don't look anything alike._

"Reggie. He's my grandson," Andromeda spoke.

Regulus looked at her for a short while, his eyes squinting until they widened comically. "A-Andromeda? Sweet Salazar, what are you doing here?"

"I brought my grandson here because he wanted to meet  _you_ , specifically. He wanted to see his new family, that he is related to. Now, answer his question,  _big brother_   _Regulus_." She smirked in mirth.

"So you're gonna be my brother?! Nana, that's my brother now!" He said, squirming out of Sirius's arms, and quickly running over to Regulus' leg. "Will you teach me how to fly when I get older? I want you to teach me, please!"

Regulus looked at Hermione for help, but she couldn't do anything to change the small boy's mind. "Uh… Sure, I guess I can teach you…?"

"Wow… Did you hear that Nana? I'm gonna learn how to fly!"

"Oh yes, I heard. Are you going to say thank you to Reggie?"

"Thank you, brother Reggie! It's going to be so much fun!"

"Y-you're welcome, Teddy…"

"Kitten? Thank Merlin, Regulus and I have been searching for you. What happened?" Evan said as he walked coolly up to her, and slung an arm protectively around her waist.

"I-it's okay, Evan… I'm alright; I was just feeling sad, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

Evan's eyes squinted at her, "Sure…"

Shaking his head, he continued. "Anyway, Antonin is on his way down here; he was looking for you as well. Who knows why, but he's been asking me every damn five minutes if you've come back yet. I could feel you come through the wards, so I told hi-"

" _Myshka_ , just the witch I've been looking for…" Antonin's voice rang through the sitting room.

Regulus suddenly picked up Teddy who was still clinging to his leg and passed him over, into Andromeda's arms.

Hermione quickly unwound herself from Evan's arm and walked quickly towards the oldest wizard. "Antonin now is not really a good time… What do you say you meet me in the library in an hour?"

"Who is the pipsqueak with the blue hair?" Antonin asked, discarding Hermione's comment.

His eyes stared at Teddy, who was now staring right back at the wizard with a hurt face. "Hey! I'm not a pipsqueak! I'm five years old."

Antonin rolled his eyes as his head gave a small shake. "Oh, I apologize, 'slightly-older pipsqueak.' So, who are you?"

"Who are  _you_?" Teddy fired back instantly, turning the question back around onto Dolohov.

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second!" The little boy continued to snap back, at each sentence Antonin spoke.

Antonin threw his arms up in the air in annoyance. "Okay, and what does that have to do with telling me who you are? Second place doesn't win, first place does. And, since I asked you first, then  _I_  win! Which means you have to tell me who you are."

"Nope. I never  _promised_  to tell you, which means I don't gotta."

Hermione knew that this comment would infuriate Antonin to no end.

"Ty nemnogo der'mo. (You little shit.)" Antonin growled

"Antonin, yazyk! (Antonin, language!)"

"Eto ne pokhozhe, chto on mozhet ponyat' menya. (It's not like he can understand me!)"

"Eto vse yeshche imeyet znacheniye. (It still matters.)"

Antonin rolled his eyes, and Hermione huffed.

"Auntie Miney, what was that weird talking that you were doing?" Teddy asked with a tip of his head.

"' _Auntie_ ,' huh… Then, why is Andromeda Black holding him, if you're his aunt,  _Myshka_?"

The woman who had been silent this whole time suddenly spoke at the mention of her name. "Wait," she said, her brows pulling together. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are. Your insane sister would never shut up about you, and how much of a blood traitor you were; and, you also look like her. Besides, I know  _everyone_."

"Nuh-uh! You don't know me!" Teddy shouted out.

Hermione couldn't believe how insistently that Teddy was fighting back with Antonin. She opened her mouth to interject, but the wizard's voice bellowed out, drowning out any other noise.

"That's because you refused to tell me!"

Teddy's little voice became shrill, as he tried to match Dolohov's loudness. "You didn't ask nicely!"

"Oh, Salazar help me. And, how do I ask nicely?" Antonin asked in a sarcastically.

"You say, 'Hello, could you tell me your name, please?' But you didn't! You called me a mean word…" Teddy's pouting lip was back once again, and Hermione could see that it didn't fool the other man.

"Antonin, just apologize, and we can get this over with…"

"No. I will not apologize to this kid just because I called him a 'mean word.' It wasn't even mean,  _Myshka!_ " Antonin whined, almost identical to Teddy.

"Antonin come o-"

"Will you do me a magic trick, instead?" Teddy disrupted in an excited voice.

 _What the hell is going on right now?!_  Hermione thought to herself.

"Teddy, I don't think that is a good idea…" Andromeda said to him quietly. The boy was no longer listening and continued to stare challengingly at the wizard.

Antonin narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Depends… What is your request?"

"Antonin, you better not do anything dark, or you  _will_  regret it," Hermione growled out to him under her breath.

Antonin pretended to ignore her and waited for the pestering boy to speak.

"Turn yourself into a duck!" Teddy commanded Antonin.

The wizard scoffed, "I can't do that. No one can do that with just a swish of a hand!"

"I can!" Teddy said in a cocky tone.

Antonin was not convinced and denied the boy's claim outright. "No, you can't."

"Yes, I can!" Teddy retorted, this time.

Everyone was watching the interaction with shock. Hermione couldn't believe that no one had gotten injured yet from Antonin's rage, and Andromeda was surprised that Teddy was so snarky to the older man.  _He really likes to get under Antonin's skin…_  The latter thought to herself.

Antonin's arms set themselves above his hip, looking like an angry librarian; or rather, looking like Hermione, when she would tell others what to do. "Oh yeah? Prove it then!"

"Fine!" The boy stated in a finalized tone. All of the room's occupants observed as Teddy's mouth turned into the bill of a duck.

Everyone, except Antonin, seemed to be impressed; though, Hermione could see that he had been intrigued for a small second before his face turned impassive again. "You only changed your  _mouth_ , not your  _whole body_ ," Dolohov said.

"Yeah, well, I can do more than you can!"

Antonin laughed at this comment. "No, you can't. You're only five; I have years of magic and experience ahead of you."

_Did this kid really think that he was better than me? This must be a joke._

"I bet my Uncle Harry could beat you," the blue-haired toddler said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Listen here kid, your ' _Uncle Harry_ ' is a no-good piece of sh-" Antonin was cut off by Hermione, as she gripped her hand into his shirt, and pulled his lips down to hers.

"Hey, that's  _my_  Auntie Miney!" Teddy whined out, his bottom lip extending into a pout.

Antonin pulled back and looked at the child incredulously. "She kissed me, first!"

Then, the rugged wizard looked down to the witch that was still fisting his shirt in her small hand. " _Myshka_ , tell him to stop. I'm about to lose my temper."

Hermione pulled the wizard down towards her once more and raised herself up on her toes. Her lips grazed his ear as she whispered. " _Dogory_ , I told you already. Go into the library and wait for me; I will meet you there. Can you do that for me?" She asked, her lips now brushing over his stubbled jaw.

He huffed and pulled himself back, flashing her a sneer. "Fine. I will be waiting,  _Myshka_ , but not for too long."

Hermione nodded with a straight face.

Turning around, Antonin began to walk out of the sitting room but rotated his head back to stare at the little boy once more. The wizard stuck out his tongue at the young boy, and smirked, just before he disappeared.

The entire room was still in silence until someone finally broke the quiet.

"Um… We all just witnessed the same thing, correct?" Gideon asked.

Hermione's hand came up to palm her forehead. "Yes," she sighed. "I believe we did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, here is chapter 13! Basically, all of this was not previously written. I have a lot of the story written out in random parts, and then I piece them together for each chapter, but this was not how I was initially going to have this chapter go. I decided to rewrite almost the entire thing because I didn't feel like it was the right time to post what I was going to originally. This was going to have a lot of stuff about Antonin in it, but I knew it would end on a cliffhanger and I didn't want to make you all have to end off a chapter on a cliffhanger. I already knew that I was going to write about Sirius meeting Andy and Teddy, but I didn't have the part where they go back to the manor and meet everyone, but I wanted Regulus to see his cousin as well, and also to meet Teddy. I am not going to lie, I had a sex scene written out with the twins and Hermione, but I thought that it would be moving sort of fast if I had her have sex with guy after guy each day. I am trying to space them out more, which is tough... Next chapter will have a big part of Antonin, and you will all get to finally hear his side of the story. I can't remember what else I was going to say, so I will just end it on this note. I have added more to the Pinterest boards and will also be including Andromeda and Teddy into their own. I hope you all enjoy!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: There are some references to physical abuse or domestic violence, and also a tiny bit of alcohol abuse. So, please know this before you read.

"Antonin?" Hermione questioned out loud into the quiet library.

"Took you long enough. I've been waiting here for days, _Myshka_. You're lucky that I didn't leave like I wanted to."

"Antonin, it's been like 20 minutes!" Hermione sighed and threw her hands up.

"Yeah well, that's 20 minutes too long for me," Antonin muttered back.

"Oh, whatever. What did you want? You said you were looking for me earlier."

"Maybe if you wouldn't have taken so long, I'd still remember the reason." His eyes narrowed in scrutiny. “As it is, I no longer remember, thanks to you.” He sneered out.

Hermione tried hard to curb the impulsive eye roll that she so badly wanted to demonstrate. Scoffing, she replied. "Antonin, I was only gone for half an hour! You're acting like I've been gone for twelve hours!" 

"Well, it bloody feels like it!” Antonin’s voice rose.

Hermione dropped a hand onto her forehead and sighed out in exhaustion. Wanting to prolong the conversation, she gave him a proposition. "Okay, let's just… How about we just talk?"

Antonin looked at the witch in front of him with a questioning look on his face. His eyes were squinting as he watched her from head to toe. "He wanted you," the wizard blurted out.

Hermione looked confused, and Antonin thought that might have been a rare sight to see such an intelligent witch look stumped. "Who?"

"The Dark Lord,” Antonin said with a nasty smirk on his face. “He wanted you for quite a bit."

Antonin wanted to laugh at the expression of shock on Hermione’s face. Her little button nose was scrunched in disgust, and her eyes were wide open. "Explain."

The wizard raised a dark brow in contempt. "Excuse me? Are you just going to demand me like that?"

"Are you serious right now?" Hermione asked. When she saw that Antonin was not going to reply, she gave in. "Ugh, fine. Would you explain to me what you meant, please?"

"It'll do, I suppose," Dolohov said with an amused face. "Anyway, the Dark Lord knew everything about all of Potter's little friends, so, naturally he knew everything about you. You infuriated him. Everyone knew when the day would be a bad day because he would constantly complain about Potter and his friends, and specifically you."

"Why?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he answered her. "You bested him. The Dark Lord does not take lightly to those who try to pull one over on him, and he knew that none of his Death Eaters would even think of doing it. But, you… You were always a small step ahead of him."

"Your stunt with your parents was one of the worst days for him, which he took out on us. He had been planning on taking your parents and holding them captive to lure you to him. But, when he sent Rowle and a few others out to catch them, they came up empty. The Dark Lord didn't believe them, and went there himself, looking all over the house. When he had realized that they were truly gone, he went mad."

"Really? I had no idea…" The witch said as she raised her hand to cover her mouth in surprise.

"Of course you didn't know,” Antonin scoffed. “How would you? None of us dared to speak of you, much less to you. A lot were angry as well. Bellatrix would drone on and on about how you were just a Mudblood, and that you weren't good for her Lord to even think about. He didn't like that. I still remember seeing Bellatrix fall out of her chair onto the ground while screaming. She learned the hard way."

"To be quite honest, he got tired of you slowly but surely. You were much too defiant, and he knew he would have a hard time breaking you. Breaking a witch was his personal favorite. But you would be too brave, and he had no time for that. I think he was much more interested in your brain. You were almost as intelligent as him, and he needed the challenge. He wanted to argue over spells and potions, and I hate to admit it, but a lot of the Death Eaters were mediocre at best. Not much smart." He looked even more amused as he thought of his next comment. "You remind me a lot of him when he was younger."

Hermione didn’t know how to reply to that. _How the bloody hell am I even closely similar to fucking Voldemort?! He was literally a Dark Lord!_

Shaking off her thoughts, she posed another question to the older wizard. "Antonin, what was he like? Back in Hogwarts."

"Why do you ask?" He asked in suspicion.

"Perhaps I would simply like to know."

Letting out a sigh of resignation, his eyes got a faraway look on them as he began to speak. "He was a leader. He was cunning, of course. He was clever and devious. He was a right bastard, truly. But I looked up to him. As I said before, he was incredibly intelligent. He could manipulate any teacher to get them to do what he wanted, besides Dumbledore obviously. I was the youngest out of all of them. He called us his 'Knights.' If you ask me, it should have stayed that way, instead of this stupid 'Death Eater' name."

Hermione ignored his last comment and decided that she needed to dive deeper into this conversation. "Do you regret it? Everything that you have done, the killing and the torture and even cursing me."

"Why are you so insistent today _Myshka_? If you're feeling frustrated, you know I can surely help you out…" The wizard spoke with that familiar sly smirk.

"Antonin, stop! This isn't about sex anymore. I need to know, okay? I need you to tell me if you have any feelings at all! Do you care about the people that you killed? Do you care that I laid in the hospital wing for weeks because of your curse?!” Her voice was shrill, and she paused to calm herself down before she spoke again in a quiet voice. “You wanted to kill me, Antonin… I need to know if you still want to. I know that you physically cannot harm me, but please, I need to know if you still feel like you want to."

Antonin was determined not to answer her, and Hermione took that as a cue to continue her speech. "Am I still inferior to you? Do I not matter? I'm running out of ways to prove my worth to you! I know that I am worth something, that I matter. But do you? Do you realize how all of this is going to affect me? I am so terrified that I will come home one day, only to find out that you have been thrown into Azkaban because you went on some killing spree! I don't know what to do anymore, okay? I'm scared, and I'm nervous for you. For me, for the rest of Wizarding Britain… Haven't you ever wanted a family of your own? To feel genuine love for someone?"

"I can't save you, Antonin. You must save yourself. But, you can't do that if you bottle everything up… You have to open up. I'm begging you; please give me something… Please don't make me have to put you in Azkaban myself…"

Antonin's face twitched slightly when she spoke to him through her tears. Her voice broke when she began to beg him, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilt. _No, no she is wrong. I don't need love, what good has it ever done for me? She's just a Mudblood…_ Antonin's jaw clenched as he called her that name in his head. _No, I mustn't feel sorry for her._

The wizard's body straightened up, and he looked definitely at the witch standing in front of him. "Well, _Myshka_ , tell me when the Aurors get here, will you? I think I will clean myself up a bit, maybe eat a good meal before they lock me up."

Hermione's stomach dropped when she heard Antonin say this. She was utterly shocked. She thought that he would maybe open up a little bit to her, but she couldn't have been more wrong. For a second she had hope when she saw his facial features soften as she spoke, but now all hope was gone. She barely realized that she had been holding her breath this whole time since she heard his answer. _Breathe, Hermione. Breathe._

Nodding slowly she looked back up and him and arranged her body and her expressions as if she was Lucius Malfoy himself. She looked hard and cold.

Then she spoke with a voice that sounded almost dead.

"As you wish, Antonin."

 

* * *

 

People in the Ministry's halls were shocked as they watched Hermione Granger march herself towards the Minister's office. She looked deadly. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, not a single muscle in her face even twitched.

Hermione was enraged. Antonin Dolohov would not beat her this time. She knew that there were feelings inside of him. She just needed to find a way to get them out, or a way to trigger them. And she would find it, without a doubt. Hermione was given a new mission, and she would see it through. She would break down his walls.

Once she had reached Kingsley's office, she didn't even bother on knocking. She walked straight into his office and dug through his files as he protested behind her.

"Hermione, what in Merlin's name do you think you're doing? That is confidential information! I can't allow you to leave with those papers!"

Hermione scoffed as she found the file that she was looking for and began to read. "Don't worry Kings; I won't be taking them with me. I just need the information that is on them. Don't ask right now, just know that this is important for me. Research purposes, shall we say? I'm about to make a breakthrough, and you have the information that I need, so, therefore, I am getting it."

"Hermione, I really must caution you-"

"Aha! Found it. Right, Kingsley, I need to use your floo, is that alright? Unfortunately, it is the closest international one at the moment. Perfect, thanks."

"Hermione Granger!"

"I'll be back in an hour or so. See you then? We can speak more when I am finished. It was so nice seeing you Kingsley, you look good!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in the middle of his office in complete and utter confusion. "What is that girl up to now, oh Gods…"

 

* * *

 

Hermione stepped out of the floo and into the Russian Ministry of Magic. _Alright, I just need to find the Minister… Oh, nope that's the loo… Godric, this place is enormous! I'll have to speak with Kingsley about perhaps upgrading our Ministry… Ah, and here we are._

"Privet, ya zdes', chtoby pogovorit' s ministrom ot imeni Kingsli Sheklbolta, ministra magii dlya Velikobritanii. YA dolzhen pogovorit' s nim kak mozhno skoreye. (Hello, I am here to speak to the Minister on behalf of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic for Britain. I must speak to him as soon as possible.)" Hermione spoke fluently to the blonde woman sitting behind the front desk.

"Konechno, pozhaluysta, dayte mne mgnoveniye. (Of course, please give me a moment.)" Hermione stood waiting as the woman got up from her desk and went around the corner. Within a minute, the witch had come back around and nodded at Hermione, and gestured for her to go ahead. "Spasibo. (Thank you.)"

Hermione walked quickly into a lavish office that looked extraordinarily cleaned and organized. "Finally, someone who understands what a real office should look like…" Hermione muttered to herself.

Suddenly she heard a loud bellowed laugh come from the man sitting behind his massive desk. "Ah, someone who appreciates my methods."

Hermione blushed a bit when she realized that he had heard her. "I apologize, Minister. I wasn't aware that you could speak English."

The old man smiled and stood up as he extended his hand over his desk. "Do not worry. May I ask who you are?"

She grabbed ahold of his hand and shook it as she spoke. "Hermione Granger, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man nodded in recognition. "Miss Granger, I have heard plenty of great things from Kingsley about you and your friends as well, though just between you and I, I think he has a bit of a soft spot for you." Hermione laughed along with him and felt a little guilty. _Yeah, we'll see if he still has that soft spot once I return…_

"So, what brings you here?"

"You see, Minister, I am looking for some information on the Dolohov family. I understand that this could be sensitive to you, so I am willing to take anything that you can give."

"Yes… Yes, you are right. The Dolohov family; most people do not speak of them. We are aware of their allegiances during your war… Tragic, really… They used to be such a prominent family. Maximillian Dolohov was where everything went wrong. As a child, he was cruel. Quite ruthless I must say. Everyone thought that when he had married his wife Wilhelmina, that perhaps he would change his ways. She was such a kind girl, very intelligent too. A powerful witch, that woman. When she had a son, Antonin, as I'm sure you have heard, that was the downfall of the family. Max, he taught the boy horrid things. His mother tried very hard to dissuade him from his father's notions, but it was useless. Eventually, Max got angry with his wife's 'sabotaging' as he called it. The relationship turned violent at that point. They got physical with each other, and then Max turned his fist to Antonin. The boy became cold, and distant after that. He caused much trouble as he got older, and when Maximillian had died from alcohol poisoning, the boy disappeared. We know now that he had gone to that Hogwarts school. What he was running from, though, no one knows. To this day, his mother is still clueless. Poor woman…"

Hermione perked up as she heard this. "So, the mother, Wilhelmina, she is still alive?"

"Oh of course she is. That woman is a fighter; she may outlive all of us someday."

"I bet she will. Do you think you could tell me where she lives, or perhaps apparate with me there? I really would love to meet this woman; she seems very admirable. She may also be able to give me more information, if possible."

The minister nodded slowly and hesitantly spoke up. "I suppose I could take you there. I wouldn't expect too much if I were you, though. She rarely speaks of the past. She has become very secluded, so this may be a shock to her. Please tread carefully, Miss Granger."

"Of course, Sir. I will do my utmost best to be polite and respectful. You have my word."

The minister held out his pudgy arm, and Hermione grabbed ahold of it before she felt the twisting feeling of apparating. She clutched onto the man's arm as they landed outside of a large gated home. It looked old and run down, though the flowers were oddly still being taken care of.

Walking up to the gate, he touched the iron bars with his wand and an old elf appeared in front of them. "Eta devushka zdes', chtoby uvidet' tvoyu lyubovnitsu. Ona ne vredna, ona drug. (This girl is here to see your mistress. She is not harmful; she is a friend.)"

The elf nodded slowly and snapped its fingers as the gates opened, and then Hermione felt the minister pull his arm out of her hand, and patted her shoulder. "Just follow the house elf, and you will be fine. Will I be seeing you after your visit?"

Hermione smiled in thanks and nodded back. "Yes, I will be back to say goodbye. Thank you, Sir. For bringing me here."

He nodded and then popped away.

The elf looked curiously at the witch and began to walk towards the front doors. Hermione followed behind and hesitantly stepped inside of the house as the doors had opened. The elf had stopped a few steps in the house and apparated away. After about two minutes of awkwardly standing there, she heard the sound of footsteps echoing behind one of the doors.

Out stepped an aged woman with dark brown hair, that was twisted into a bun on the back of her head. She wore standard robes, something that would be worn to go to the village. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, and she was expressionless. She stood in front of Hermione, her hands clasping together in front of her body. "Kto ty? (Who are you?)"

"Oh pardon m- Um, fuck, I mean, YA Germiona Greyndzher. (I am Hermione Granger.)"

The woman raised a brow at the curse and appraised Hermione from bottom to top and then sneered slightly at her. "I can speak English, Miss Granger. Now, what do you want? I have nothing to offer you, so if you're looking for money, then you have come to the wrong woman."

Hermione shook her head. "No, you're mistaken. I've come to have a conversation with you regarding your son, Antonin. Nothing more, nothing less. Mrs. Dolohov, I would like to caution you before you decide to throw me out or lie to me. I do not take lightly to prying into other people's affairs, so you must understand the importance of this meeting, else I would not be here."

"Is that so? You come into my house, and you request to question me, and you are telling me that _I_ must think twice before tossing you off my property? You've got nerve, child." Hermione felt her anger rising at the way the woman circled her like a vulture. "You remind me of myself… So hot-blooded, so brave… So _ignorant._ "

"Pardon me? How dare you! Do you believe I traveled all the way here just to be made a fool of? I may be uptight, a swot, a know-it-all, but I am no fool. I survived a curse shot at me by none other than your son. You think me ignorant? If we are as alike as you say, then what does that make you?"

The older woman's eyes widened at the mention of her son and the courage the girl had, but she quickly composed herself back to her original expressionless state, though a small smirk was pulling at the edge of her mouth. "Alright, Miss Granger. I will speak with you. It has been ages since anyone has stood up to me. And, as I said, you remind me of myself. Come along, then."

The woman turned around and began walking towards the library. When the doors had opened to show all of the books, Hermione fell in love again. _It seems like the standard trait amongst purebloods is their monstrous libraries._

As the woman guided Hermione towards a chair, she almost missed the picture frame that was sitting on one of the tables. "Is this Antonin?" Hermione asked out loud without even realizing and smiled a little at the picture.

A small boy was standing next to a beautiful lady, his mother, and was gripping tightly onto her hand like a baby deer who was attempting to walk for the first time. And that's precisely what he was doing, trying to walk. The picture looked so old, but Hermione could still see the resemblance of the small boy to the now grown Antonin.

"Yes, that is him."

"He looks happy…" Hermione whispered into the room.

Mrs. Dolohov cleared her throat, making Hermione quickly spin around to resume her place in the chair across from the woman. "So, explain yourself, Miss Granger. Why are you wondering about Antonin?"

"Do you still love him? Your son that is."

"Of course I do. He's my son."

"Do you know why he left?"

"No. I presume he did not wish to stay with me. That I had done something to anger him."

"Did you hear about him, his reputation in Britain?"

"Snippets, yes. He had come back once, not here, but into the village. I was told that he was wearing some odd garb, all black. People said he had a mark on his arm, that he was sweating and he looked like he was ill. He had gone to his father's grave, and he demolished it. He smashed the stone, so it only lay in pieces, and he lit the grass on fire. Apparently, he left after he had finished. No one has seen him since, but people found out what that mark on his arm had meant. They heard that he was working for a Dark Lord and that he was one of the most vicious followers. So yes, I have heard about my son."

"Did you know that he died?"

"Yes… I had heard of the war that was happening, and I had waited days for any news. The body count, the names of the missing people, everything. I saw the names of the dead, and I saw my son's name towards the very end. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it in my heart. And when he died, it felt like someone had torn off a piece of my heart. Mother's instinct I suppose." The witch nodded as she continued. "I know who you are, Miss Granger. You were on the front page of the paper. I've heard all about you and your little friends. You are a brave girl; even I can admit that. Self-sacrificing, yes. But you have courage. The curious thing is how you know my son… You told me that he had cursed you, correct?"

"Correct. It was a curse that he created himself, so there was no sure way to fix it. Upon some luck, the healers were able to save me, but I did nearly die."

"Interesting… So, why then did you smile when you saw that photo of my son? I wouldn't think being cursed by someone could warrant a smile like you just had. No, that was a genuine smile. Why, Miss Granger, did you smile?"

Hermione felt her ears get warm and cleared her throat. "He's a brilliant wizard, your son. As much as I hate to admit it, and as bad as it makes me sound, his spellwork is extraordinary. Of course, I do still resent the fact that I nearly died from one of these curses, but I must give credit where credit is due, I believe. I presume he got it from you. His strength, it's admirable. His vengeance, and his temper; it's compelling. Antonin is indeed a very powerful man… Unfortunately, he is filled with resentment and fury."

She was cut off from her admiring words. "Miss Granger. Enough with the gloating on behalf of my son. Now, do get to the important things."

Hermione let out a sigh and revealed everything. "Madame, I have accidentally brought your son back from the dead."

Hermione heard the woman gasp and she continued quickly. "I know, it sounds mad… But he's back. The issue is, I don't know how to get him to open himself up to me. He has done things that make him worthy of his death, but there has to be some sort of feelings there, right? I asked him, 'Haven't you ever wanted a family of your own? To feel genuine love with someone?' and I could have sworn I saw him look effected from my question. But, a second later, he was the same cold man. I told him that I am terrified that he will do something bad again and he will be thrown into prison. And I told him that I am even more scared that I will have to be the one to turn him in because he is not safe to be around. He just looked at me and told me to do it. But that can't be right, Madame. There has to be a way, isn't there? I am soul bonded to this man, I am married to him and six others, and I am expected to carry all of their children. How do I do that when they wish I were dead?! He hates me, and I don't know how to make it better. If anyone should hate someone, it should be me! He almost killed me! I thought that maybe he would be different now that the world is safe again, but he's not… He still despises me. He doesn't want me, but I want him. What am I supposed to do? Please… Please help me. I can't do this alone…" Hermione was on her knees by now, and she was sobbing into her hands in frustration.

Then, she felt a set of arms wrap around her, as the woman murmured to herself. "Oh, goodness girl… I-I'll help you, okay? So stop this crying… Goodness you've brought my boy back…" Hermione heard the woman gasp again and she had pulled her arms back from Hermione and set them on her shoulders instead to look at her in recognition.

"The box… You opened the box. That's how you brought him back… I've been looking for that foolish thing for years; of course, he would have taken it with him… Alright, clean yourself up. I am going to change, and we will leave. Okay? We will leave right away. I will speak with Antonin; we will fix this."

Hermione nodded as she wiped her face and the woman popped away and was back within five minutes. She hadn't changed much, she just grabbed a traveling cloak and fixed her hair a bit. Hermione looked at her, and the woman shook her head.

"Didn't I tell you to clean yourself up? You can't go back looking like this. We must never let anyone know that we are vulnerable. That is the number one rule. Always look prepared." With that, the witch waved her wand and Hermione felt her hair smooth out, and her face became dry. Her eyes didn't feel as heavy or puffy anymore, and she assumed that she looked just as she did this morning.

Grabbing Hermione's arm, she walked to her floo. "We will floo to the Ministry first, I presume?" Hermione nodded, and the woman stepped into the floo and left, the young witch following.

"We can go right to the minister's office. I told him I would say goodbye before I left. We can use his floo to travel."

The elder woman nodded and hooked arms with Hermione as the young woman lead them to the office. She nodded at the woman sitting at the front desk, and the woman responded with a returning nod. She knocked on the door twice before the door opened in front of them.

"Ah, Miss Granger, I've been awaiting your arrival! And Madame Dolohov, it's a pleasure to see you. Will you be traveling along with Miss Granger?" The older witch nodded, and he smiled with glinting eyes. "How grand! I hope you both have a great travel, and Miss Granger, it really was an honor to meet you. Tell Kingsley I say hello, will you? And Madame Dolohov, it has been great seeing you." Both witches nodded, and Hermione went first as an example for the elder witch.

_Fuck, Kingsley is going to kill me when I get there…_

Hermione stepped out of the floo into the Minister's office and saw Kingsley sitting in his chair with his hands crossed over his chest in anger, looking like he had been waiting for her the whole two hours that she was gone for.

"Kingsley, I've been eager to come back and talk to you. How has your day been going? Mine has been hectic let me tell you that. Have you found any new cases for me to assist in?"

"Hermione Granger. Do not speak a single word until I am finished. What on Earth do you think you are doing?! You cannot just barge in here, read confidential files, and then leave. Listen here, Hermione-" Kingsley was interrupted by the sound of the floo going off again, and Antonin's mother coming through. Kingsley looked confused, and Hermione quickly shuffled over to the woman to speed things up before the truth came out.

"Kingsley this is Lady Wilhelmina Dolohov of Russia. I had to go and see her because I have been researching the spell that I was cursed with during the altercation at the Department of Secrets, and I had hoped that she could give me some… Insight, on her son. I had to come over as soon as possible; you know how I am Kings. I was on the verge of a breakthrough, and everything else sort of slipped my mind. Although, Lady Dolohov and I really must get going. I am bringing her over to my house to continue our chat. I will speak to you soon, sometime this week. I promise! Have a good evening Kingsley, and thank you for letting me use your floo!" Hermione grabbed the elder witch's forearm and gave her a nod before they both popped away from the flustered wizard.

Hermione landed in the sitting room of the manor and sat Wilhelmina down to speak for a second. "Okay, so this is it. We're at the Rosier's manor. I brought back Evan Rosier, but you won't know him. Just in case someone else shows up unannounced, I want you to know that I also brought back two Black's, two Prewett's, and a Lestrange. You are safe here, but I rather think you already can handle yourself anyways. When you speak to Antonin… Do you mind if I am there as well? I don't have to speak or anything, I just want to be apart of this. To sit there and understand."

"Yes, that is acceptable. Do you think we could do it in the library though? There is something about libraries that calm me very much."

Hermione smiled and nodded her head. "I completely understand. I feel the same. Okay, let's go to the library and then I will have Tillie, one of the house elves, tell Antonin to meet me in there. Then you both can talk."

The other witch nodded, and Hermione retook her arm and brought her up the stairs to walk to the library. When they had both gotten inside, Hermione noticed that it was empty. She nodded and called for Tillie. The elf popped right in front of both of the women and Hermione smiled down at the elf.

"Hello, Tillie, would you mind giving Antonin Dolohov a message from me? Could you please tell him to come to the library? If he ignores you, I permit you to apparate him straight here, okay?" The elf nodded, and Hermione settled the older witch down onto a chair, and Hermione sat next to her on a separate chair close by.

Both witches sat in anticipation until they heard the door creak open. Hermione turned her head to see Antonin turning around to shut the door behind him. She took a look at his mother and noticed that she hadn't turned her head to look at her son, and her hands were slightly trembling. Hermione hesitantly extended her hand towards the woman's shoulder and set it gently on top.

The woman looked over at her and Hermione whispered quietly to her. "Thank you, for doing this for me. I am glad that I met you. No matter what is said during this meeting, just know that I will be here if you need someone to talk to, alright?" The elder woman nodded and sniffed before she clenched her hands and sat straight up, waiting for her son to come over.

"Alright, what do you want now, _Myshka_? Are the Aurors here to take me away yet?" Antonin said as he plopped himself down on the couch across from Hermione and his mother, who he had not yet noticed. He went to continue talking, but his words caught in his throat when he had finally noticed the woman that Hermione was sitting beside.

"Mama? Mama eto ty? (Mother? Is that you?)" He looked completely shocked, and he had gone completely still.

His mother looked at him with hard eyes, though they were glistening a bit when she spoke. "Da."

Antonin's head whipped over towards Hermione, and he spoke in a low, grating voice. "What have you done? Why is she here?"

Hermione gulped and shook her head. She didn't reply, but instead, his mother spoke out. "Why did you leave, Antonin? Why didn't you say goodbye? You left me, your own mother. Answer me, boy. Why did you leave?!" The woman was now clutching the arms of the chair as she raised her voice at Antonin.

"Mama, I-"

"Answer the question Antonin Dolohov."

He sighed and sat back down on the couch and grabbed his hair on his hands. "I'm not doing this with her here, Mama."

"You will. She is apart of our family now, and you will respect her. Now answer the question."

Hermione couldn't help but feel a small pang of disappointment when Antonin refused to speak in front of her. She understood that sometimes things need to be discussed in private, but his mother was right. She was apart of their family now, whether Antonin liked it or not. She deserved to know what he had done.

"Fucking hell. Okay! I couldn't face you anymore. I didn't want to remind you of him every time you looked at me. And I couldn't look at you knowing that I couldn't save you from him. I was so angry… I felt so angry, I felt like him. I wouldn't subject you to any more of that; I couldn't. So, I looked into the family history and saw that we were Sacred. I saw that almost all of them were in Britain, so that's where I went. And that's where I stayed."

"But, you came back. Why did you come back? Why didn't you come and see me?"

"Dammit, Mama… I killed someone, okay? The day that I came back, I had killed someone for the first time. I was so angry… All I could think about was _him_ … That he made me this way, that it was his fault that things turned out the way that they did. I-I couldn't even think straight Mama. I was so blinded by rage, and all I could think to do was get him back, to get revenge on father. So, I destroyed what was left of him. After I did that, I thought about coming to see you, Mama… But I couldn't. How could I come back to my mother and burden her even more by admitting that her son had just committed murder? You didn't deserve that. That is why I didn't visit you."

When Antonin said this, Hermione couldn't help but let her head drop forward. It made sense now… Why he left, why he didn't come back… Why he was so hostile, and angry.

"I deserved to know this Antonin. You should have told me this. I have been through a hell of a lot of things, and I could have handled this. I am not weak, not anymore. You didn't even give me the chance to have a happy life together once the antagonist was gone. I needed you Antonin Dolohov. How dare you, leave like that and then live your life as a follower of some sadistic 'Dark Lord.' You were worth much more than that, my boy. It led you to your own death, and then you dare to patronize the one person who brought you back?! You have a second chance! I have a second chance, don't you understand that? My son is back, and you're mad if you think that I am going to let you slip away again. Hermione has brought you back, and you need to acknowledge this properly," his mother spoke in a demanding voice.

Antonin seemed to roll his eyes at this, and his mother was livid. She turned to look at Hermione and gave her a look of guilt as if she was apologizing ahead of time, and then turned towards her son once again and began to speak.

"She cares for you, son. She broke into the Minister's office and walked right over to his floo and traveled all the way to Russia. She befriended the Russian Minister and persuaded him to take her to our house. She came into the manor and had the nerve to stand up for herself, even though she knew it would offend me. She is one of the very few who have had enough courage to do so. She walked past a picture of you as a child, do you remember the one where you were trying to walk out in the yard? That was the one."

"Da Mama, I remember."

"She smiled at it. Not a snarky smile, but a genuine smile of care. She said you looked happy in it as if she had never seen you genuinely happy in her entire life. I assume she has not. You know what she did? She gushed about you for almost two minutes. She told me that you are brilliant, especially with your spells. She told me that you're such a powerful wizard. I had to stop her from continuing. Now, tell me, Antonin, do you know of any witch besides myself, who has ever spoken about you in such a way? You practically killed the girl with one of your curses, and she can still find it in herself to not only forgive you but to speak quite highly of you as well. I've never seen anything like it."

Antonin seemed skeptical for a few seconds, before he turned his head to peer at Hermione, looking somewhat shocked but impressed. Her cheeks were now red as roses, and her ears felt as if they were on fire. Looking over at the woman next to her, she leaned over and began to whisper quietly to her.

"I know you did that on purpose, and it worked I have to admit. But, next time, if you want me to vacate the room then please just tell me straight out. I don't mind, I have already heard enough, and I don't believe that my presence is helping as much as I was hoping. Will you meet me in the sitting room when you have finished? I would like to say goodbye before you leave." With this, Hermione stood up and began walking to the doors, quickly shutting them behind her.

Antonin looked at his mother and noticed the somewhat displeased face that she had on, but then it turned into a smirk. "She's a smart little chit. It's almost annoying…"

Antonin had a look of contempt on his face. "You just noticed that? Get used to it Mama."

"She is knowledgeable though. Loyal, brave, feisty, cunning, and strong… And this is coming from a woman who just met the witch no less than an hour ago." Antonin let out a laugh at this.

"She begged me, you know. She was on her knees, sobbing. What have you done to the poor girl, Antonin? She's running out of patience, my boy. How could you not want a woman like her? She's not perfect, but she is quite beautiful. Her personality traits are colossal. She is beyond powerful, Antonin. This little girl could replace that bastard that you served under, that's how powerful and strong that she is. I understand that it's difficult to imagine being with a woman while sharing her with multiple other men, but she has it even harder than all of you. Do you know this, Antonin? Tell me that you understand what I have just told you."

"I understand Mama. I know that she is powerful, and I know that she is the one who is being affected most by this…"

"She told me that she asked you if you ever wanted a family of your own, yet you said nothing. Have you ever thought of it, Antonin? Your own child… You could make this right again. You can be the father that you wished that you could have had. You have a wife who actually cares for you, and you have me, too. You hate her because of her blood, yet you both share the same blood now. If you do not learn to like this girl, then you are going against the traditions of all purebloods. You are going against your blood, your magic, and your soul. The fates have chosen you, Antonin. And I know that you have feelings, but she does not. You must let her in. SHe will continue to care for you, even when you are vulnerable around her. That girl is special, son. And you'd be a damn fool if you don't recognize that. I expect you to listen to what I am telling you. You will do your part in this. But I expect you to open yourself up to her. I am not getting any younger, my boy, and I rather like the idea of grandchildren, don't you agree?"

"Mama, I've never thought about having children of my own. It was not exactly an option for me while I was serving under the Dark Lord."

"Well, it's more than an option now, Antonin. The least you could do is be civil with the poor girl. She is going through a lot, son. This is not a request; this is an order coming straight from me. If I find out that you have done anything to that woman, you will regret you ever were brought back. I mean it, Antonin. Give her a chance.”

“Alright, alright,” Antonin groaned out.

“Now, tell me…”

 

* * *

 

Hermione was brought out of her book when she heard the sound of heels on the wooden floor of the sitting room. Putting down her reading material, she stood up and turned around to face the old witch. “How did everything go?” Hermione asked with a glimmer of hope in her voice.”

“Everything went fine, Hermione. Do not worry. I had a good talk with him, and I have a feeling that he will be a little more accommodating in the future. But, I must go now and sort some things out. I will speak to you soon, alright?” The woman spoke in a flurry.

“Uh- Yeah okay! I am glad everything went well, thank you so much for coming,” Hermione spoke in a confused voice.

Right as the witch left, Hermione was faced with Antonin. His eyes were dark, and his teeth were bared in a sneer. "You're a brazen witch, _Myshka._ Telling my mother on me, is that so? What is it that you want from me?" Antonin asked Hermione in a growling voice.

"I want you! I want all of you. Hasn't it gotten through your head yet?! I don't know how you don't understand it yet.” Hermione spoke with an enraged voice.

Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath. “Antonin, I like who you are. But, I want to know all of you. And I'm not going to abandon you. Is that what you think that I will do? Do you think that I despise you? That I am plotting your death behind your back? All I want is for you to be honest with me, to tell me things when you wish to, instead of holding it all back. Is it my fault? Do you not trust me even in the slightest?"

"Trust _you_?” Antonin growled out in questioning. “I don't trust anyone, _Myshka_. Why should I trust you? What does that change if I do? I am not a good man; you know this. Why would you want to be with me, knowing everything that I've done?"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? IT DOESN'T! You're not the same person Antonin. You can keep assuming that you are, but you aren't! People change every day! I have changed! I can't help what I feel, alright? I want you Antonin Dolohov!"

"But why?! TELL ME WHY!" He shouted back at her.

"Why?! Can you really not imagine why? Do you see nothing good about yourself?" The witch asked with wide eyes.

"Tell me,” he said, “persuade me, _Myshka_. Give me a reason why I should believe you."

Hermione had enough. Her hands fisted together tightly, and she held them tightly by her sides. "Gods, you're infuriating! You drive me completely mad, and I like it! I like that you test me. I like bickering back and forth with you. I like how powerful you are, how demanding you are. At the same time, you can joke around. And I want to go to you when I am struggling and feeling down, or when I am happy and excited. I want you to be there. I want you to be _here_ , Antonin. I want you to stay because it wouldn't be the same if you weren't here. You don't fade into the background; you matter just as much as the others. I want you to live, to _really live_ this time. I want to see you flourish… To see you smile, again, like in the baby photo. I liked that smile.”  

Hermione lifted her head and faced him straight on, staring directly into his eyes with a heated look. “I fucking love when you look at me like you are going to devour me. Like I matter. I love how confident you are, and how rugged you look. Your stubble, and your scruffy hair- I just want to touch you all of the time. I want you to touch me. You make me feel like I am on fire, my entire body burns at the thought-"

Hermione didn't even get to finish her sentence before she felt Antonin's large hands grab her around her waist, his lips attaching to hers roughly. His teeth were nipping at her lips and Hermione could do nothing but stand within his grasp and respond in a lust-filled daze.

"I am going to make you mine, _Myshka_. I am giving you this one warning before I ravage your pretty little pussy. I suggest if you have any objections, that you voice them right now."

The curly haired witch looked at him with hooded eyes. "No. Do it, Antonin. Fuck me like you want to; like _I_ want you to. I need to feel you," she practically whimpered at the end.

Antonin threw all caution out the window at her words and apparated them both to his bedroom. His hands ripped off her clothes, leaving them to fall to the floor in tatters. Pushing her onto her bed, he turned her around so that she was laying on her stomach, her legs hanging off of the bed. He stood behind her body and basked in the view of her for a short time. The dip of her back, the curves of her hip, her little arse wiggling with impatience and entirely on display.

Sinking to his knees at the end of the bed, right in between her legs, he spread her tanned thighs apart to reveal the sight of her heat. Lifting a hand, he brought forth a finger towards her, and slowly began to drag his index finger down her arse and through her folds, circling once around her clit. Then Antonin trailed his finger back up to run over the hole where he so desperately wanted to be at that moment. Biting his lip, he felt his finger run through wetness that was seeping out of her from the stimulation, and couldn't hold himself back from grabbing her waist once more and pulling her pussy towards his mouth.

Hermione let out a squeak when she felt him pull her over the soft sheets, and the sound turned into a whimper when she felt his tongue sliding through her folds. She jerked her body when she then felt him nip at her, in between sucking on her clit and his tongue pushing inside of her. His stubble was scratching against the inside of her thighs, and Hermione moaned at the contrasting sensations of his warm and wet tongue, compared to his spikey and burning stubble. Suddenly she felt two fingers enter her and clutched at the sheets with purchase.

"Antonin, please. I-" Hermione broke the sentence with a moan when she felt the vibrations of Antonin laughing.

"Are you going to cum, _Myshka_?"

Hermione's reply was a groan when she felt Antonin once again bury his entire face into her lower body from behind. She marveled at his hands that were running up and down her legs, causing her to shiver at the feather-light touch.

"F-fuck…" Hermione whined out when Antonin had moved his hand up to her arse to squeeze it tightly underneath his palm.

She yelped as the wizard had brought his hand down hard onto her right cheek, feeling the burn of his smack and jolting from the small sting. She found herself pushing back into his face and his hand, wiggling her pink arse in invitation for him to spank her again.

Antonin massaged the hand shaped mark that was left on her arse, and released his hand that was on the other side of her hip to bring it down to the buttons of his pants, hurriedly trying to at least let up a bit on the pressure that his pants had against his erection. He growled into Hermione's cunt when he had finally gotten a hand inside his pants to grasp at his hard cock. Tugging tightly on himself, he sped up his ministrations on the beautiful witch laying in front of him, moaning his name between various profanities.

Hermione knew that she was close to her climax, especially when the wizard had introduced the pain combined with her pleasure, wished she could reach back and touch him so that he could feel as good as she was feeling. Her legs started closing around him, and Antonin brought his hand up to her arse cheek once again and spanked her roughly, which only pushed Hermione over the edge. Her voice filled the room slowly, and Antonin's fist tightened around his length.

"A-Antonin stop…" The witch whined out when Antonin continued to lick and suck at her sensitive center.

The wizard heeded her warning and pulled away from her, and stood up, sliding down his trousers along with his briefs, ripping his shirt over his head quickly. He reached forward and lifted Hermione by her hips and pushed her further up onto the bed, as he got crawled onto the mattress as well.

Hermione raised herself onto her hands and knees and turned her head around to catch a glimpse of the sexy wizard that was situating himself behind her. His eyes lifted to hers, his hand still pumping his cock. "I'm going to fuck you, _Myshka_ ," came the dark growling voice.

Hermione groaned as she turned back around and dropped her head onto the bed, her cheek resting on one side. She felt his skin touch hers when he went to guide himself into her. He pushed in all at once, in one quick and hard thrust. He held himself inside of her tight walls and growled when he felt her cunt throbbing around him, still coming down from her last orgasm.

Hermione's eyes squeezed shut when she felt Antonin pull out of her and begin his thrusting. He set a brutal pace, and the sound of their bodies meshing together could be heard throughout the room, along with Hermione's moans and Antonin's occasional groans and growls. She felt like she was on fire- her body burning from his touch and his ministrations. His hips that were slapping against her arse only confirmed how rapidly and profoundly he was pumping into her.

Hermione's skin raised with chills when the wizard had slid his hand that was previously gripping firmly on her hip, all the way up her spine, his slow and teasing fingers was a complete opposite to the way he was fucking her.

Hermione's head was suddenly pulled back; her chin raised from the bed. Dolohov's large hand had seized her by her curls, and he was tugging her so that her head was now facing the ceiling. Her body pitched forward with each of his plunders, and she was trying her hardest to keep herself held up by her trembling arms, as they were barely able to stabilize her.

She let out a breath of relief when she felt him pulling her even further so that her back was now pressed against his chest, and his hand had released her hair from his grip. The wizard's hand traveled around her body so that it was gliding down to her abdomen. Hermione's voice burst out when one of Antonin's robust digits had started rubbing her clit, and one of her own hands had wrapped itself around his wrist.

"Do you like this? Do you like when I fuck you like this, _Myshka_? I can feel every part of you. Your sweet body feels so good against mine; we're a perfect fit," the dark wizard grumbled against Hermione's back.

His hand removed itself from rubbing her heat and moved up to her stomach where the large scar followed across the expanse of her chest. His fingers brushed over the ragged diagonal line ever so carefully and gently. "You're mine. This right here is _mine,_ ” he muttered out before he grabbed hold of her breasts that were bouncing from the force of his thrusts. "Your tits fit completely within my palms," he said as he squeezed them. "You’re perfect.”

His hand then made its way to her collarbone. He traced her skin mindlessly until his fingers ended up crawling, even more, higher up, now gently curling his hand around her delicate neck. The witch's breath hitched in surprise at the action.

This was unfamiliar territory for Hermione, but it's not like she was against it. In fact, she was quite curious, but she refused to get lost in her thoughts. Her hand was still holding his wrist, so she had control of him, and she could pull him away or indicate that he should stop, so she was not frightened.

Antonin leaned his head forward to her ear from behind and whispered. "What do you feel, _Myshka_?"

"You… I feel you, inside of me. Against me. Holding me," Hermione whispered out.

Antonin relished in the weight of his hand holding her neck. This was power. She would need to trust him fully to let him do this. He had the upper hand, and she was at his mercy. His eyes closed at the sense of that raw power. She felt like an extension of himself like they were attached to the skin. As if they always had been, like he had never known a life without feeling her. He knew how powerful the witch was, and he also knew how strong Hermione was. She was fire.

Antonin groaned at her words that she had spoken before, and felt himself pump quicker into her, also tightening his hand on her windpipe. Just enough to feel a small pressure, not enough to choke. Hermione's head fell back onto his shoulder when she had felt his fingers squeeze her more firmly into her neck. His lips came into contact with her cheek, and he nudged it with his nose as he moved lower to her jaw, where he left kisses that turned into licks.

Hermione was shaking at the multiple things going on and warned the wizard of her impending climax. " _Dogoroy_ , I'm… Shite, I can't take it any longer. I-I'm going to-"

"Not until I say so," Antonin demanded the little witch.

"But-" Hermione whined out in distress.

Antonin disregarded her pleading and focused on going faster. On catching up with her. He wanted to feel her squeezing around his cock as he shot his seed deep into her. This is what he'd been waiting for. His other hand that he had been using to grasp onto her hip slid forward to her abdomen, and he pressed his full hand to her lower stomach. He could feel the pressure on his cock that was driving itself in and out.

Hermione could also feel him drag against the walls of her cunt, and moaned at it. His hand tightened even more around her neck, and Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Now, _Myshka_. Cum now." Antonin's deep voice growled into her ear, and she now let herself give into the pleasure.

She was in bliss.

Her body pushed back into his, and she went completely rigid, besides the shaking limbs. Her mind went blank, and she could only focus on the pleasure.

Antonin had released himself a fraction of a second after Hermione did. He continued to thrust into her, in small jerks. He could feel the throbbing of the witch's cunt around his cock and groaned. The wizard had to remind himself to let go of the grip that he had on her neck, as he felt himself periodically loosening and tightening his fingers.

Hermione’s body slumped forward onto the bed as she felt like she was boneless. She lay on her stomach with her eyes closed, regulating her breaths.

Antonin pulled out of her and moved to the right side of her on the bed. He lay with his hands behind his head, indulging in the pleasure that he had just felt. After a few minutes, he was broken out of his daze when he felt the body beside him begin to move. His eyes opened when he noticed her small hand rubbing his chest in circles, twirling the black chest hair. He took a chance and lifted one of his own hands and fingered mindlessly at her messy brown curls. _Fuck, this feels so right._

"So…” Hermione started to speak. “Do you believe me now? That I truly want you?"

"Oh, definitely not, _Myshka_. You're going to have to try harder," Antonin spoke with a small smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry I didn't post this over the last weekend. I had planned on it, but I had some technical difficulties, and I have been busy reading some fics tbh. Anyway, here is the chapter for all of those Antonin lovers out there! I love Antonin's character. Now, coming up with a story for him was quite tricky, so please don't get angry with me for coming up with an excuse for him being "evil." I think this backstory is pretty justifiable. As I have said before in the other chapters, you can check my Pinterest if you are interested in seeing all of the characters' boards, including Kingsley and Antonin's mother, now! I hope you all enjoy this installment and thank you for reading as always!


	15. Chapter 15

"Master Evan? Master, you has to wakes up!" A tiny voice spoke into the immaculate room.

"Hm? What is it, Pippy?" Evan grumbled.

"Master, somebody is heres!"

"Who?" The wizard mumbled as he attempted to wake himself up.

"The King, Master."

He raised a brow at the words, "What the hell do you mean by 'the King'?"

The elf seemed to ignore his question and continued on impatiently. "Master, you must gets up. The King is waitings."

"Can't you send him away for a while? I'm too tired for this, Pip."

"Master! You musts do your duties!"

"Alright, alright. I am coming," Evan said as he sluggishly rolled out of bed.

Walking down the grand staircase, he stepped into the sitting room to come face-to-face with a man who he had never seen before. The man turned at the sound of Evan, and he gave him a confused look.

"May I ask who you are?"

The unknown wizard squinted his eyes at Evan and replied. "How about you answer that for me, first?"

Evan felt his anger rise with each passing second and couldn't stop the snappy reply. "May I remind you, you are in  _my_  house at the moment, so it would do you well to answer  _my_  question, yes?"

"Your house? This is the Rosier manner, and all Rosier's are dead, young man."

Evan smirked at the look of confusion that the other wizard held on his face, and replied with a cocky tone. "Not anymore, sir. Now, if you don't mind, I would prefer if you would tell me why you are here or leave."

"Hermione. I am here to see Hermione Granger. I know that she is here, though I don't know why. But, I need to see her. Preferably now, if that is possible."

Evan raised a brow at the demand and relented. It was too early for him to start fights. "Pippy, get Hermione and bring her down here, please." The elf nodded and popped away. This left the two wizards alone, staring at each other with questioning eyes.

* * *

Hermione woke to the feeling of a small hand on her shoulder. "Missy…"

"Antonin, quit, I'm trying to sleep," she mumbled out with annoyance.

"Missy, wake up!" A high voice spoke in complete contrast to Antonin's voice.

Hermione groaned and sat up to look at the person, or rather the creature, that was speaking to her. When she looked up, she saw a male house-elf standing at the edge of her bed.

"What is wrong?" Hermione asked, running a hand through her knotted hair.

"Missy, you need to comes downstairs. Master Evan says so, please."

Nodding her head, Hermione gave the elf a tiny smile. "Alright, I will be down in a minute, thank you."

The elf nodded and popped away. Hermione let out a groan and stretched her body when she felt a body behind her begin to wake up from her movements.

"Mmm, stop moving. I'm fucking exhausted," the deep voice croaked out into the quiet room.

Hermione let out a laugh at that and turned around to look down at Antonin's sleeping face. She moved her body to straddle his hips as she bent down to him. "That's tragic. I was hoping," she paused as she ran a finger down the side of his face and over his lips, "for a second round, maybe?" She spoke against his lips.

His eyes fluttered open at her words and at the feeling of her body molding against his, and a smirk lifted his lips. "Well, maybe not  _completely_  exhausted. I could always go for another round,  _Myshka_."

Hermione giggled and bent down to give his lips a quick peck before she rolled off of him and stood up on the ground. "You're going to have to wait then. Sorry," she spoke with a smirk of her own playing on her face.

Antonin growled and turned himself face down on the bed, ignoring her and falling back asleep.

She gave another chuckle as she shook her head, walking out of the room.

* * *

Suddenly, the two awkward wizards could hear the sound of Hermione's small feet shuffling against the stone floor. Evan turned to look at her, and couldn't stop a smile from slipping through. She was wearing a pair of black and white striped shorts, and an oversized black t-shirt, which he assumed did not belong to her.

She was wiping her tired eyes like a small child who had just woken from a nap, and her body was slumped as she trudged in. When her head lifted, she finally caught sight of Kingsley standing by the couch, and a flash of fear flew across her face before she shook her head and jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. Her tired eyes were now looking at the man with guilt, and she continued to walk towards him as she extended both arms out wide in a hugging motion.

Evan seemed confused at this, and both eyes were squinted in a glare, which appeared to match the eyes of the other wizard. Though, he looked more angry than confused.

"Kings…  _Please_  don't get mad at me; it's too early for that. I'm so tired… I'm sorry for what I did Kingsley," Hermione said in a small innocent voice and was now standing just in front of the dark wizard when she saw him relent a little at her guilty voice. Hermione moved even closer so that she was now jumping slightly into his arms, her legs twining around his hips like a baby koala clinging to its mother. Her head was tucked deep into his neck, and Kingsley had wrapped his own arms around her back to hold her against him effectively.

"Oh, Hermione… What happened?" The old wizard asked quietly. All she did was let out a deep breath in reply, her arms tightening around his neck.

"Kitten, I hate to break up your reunion, but could someone tell me what the hell is going on right now? Who the hell is this guy, and why the fuck are you draping yourself around him like that?" Evan said with a hard tone, his voice rising with annoyance.

Hermione's head shot up at the words, and it seemed like she had just realized that he had been there the whole time. She turned her head underneath Kingsley's chin and gave a sudden glare to Evan.

"Evan… Do not test me right now."

Evan's dark blonde eyebrows shot up in shock, and his arms crossed over his chest in defiance. "No. This is my house, and you are  _my_  witch. Now tell me what the bloody hell is going on this instant!"

Hermione let out a small growl, and unwrapped her legs from around the other wizard, and planted her feet flat on the ground. She gave Kingsley a look and moved her arms down to his left hand. Tugging his hand with hers, she led him towards the annoyed younger wizard.

"Evan, this is the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kings, this is Evan Rosier. One of the seven wizards that I accidentally rose back from the dead," Hermione said as she turned her head up to look at the expression on Kingsley's face. He had a frown on his face, and he was now full on glaring at Hermione.

"Surprise?" She said, with a sour face.

One of Evan's pale hands shot out in a greeting to the minister. "Pleasure, Minister Shacklebolt."

The wizard was still in a state of anger mixed with shock and seemed to be in his own world at that moment. Hermione grabbed his hand and brought it out to Evan's, prompting them to shake hands. Evan's tight grip on Kingsley's hand seemed to break the older wizard from his daze.

"Evan Rosier. Yes, what a pleasure to meet you. I wish I had known about this earlier, Hermione," Kingsley muttered snidely to the witch.

"Well, I was meaning to tell you, Kings. Really, I was. But, some things needed to be done first, you understand right?"

Kingsley shook his head and let out a sigh. "How about you start from the beginning, and then I will let you know if I 'understand,' shall we?"

Hermione gave a short nod and pulled Kingsley over to a chair to sit himself down for her story. Before she sat down herself, she walked over to Evan and lifted a hand to fix some of his bed head. "I'm sorry, Evan. I didn't know that he would come all the way here to speak with me. He's a good man, though. I promise. We fought together."

"And what is the extent of this friendship?" The blonde wizard said, his arms still crossed over his chest in defiance.

"Good Godric, Evan. We're just friends, that is all. Don't go getting all jealous on me, now."

"I will bloody well get jealous when I want to, Kitten. You are  _mine,_  don't forget that." He spoke into her ear as he leaned down to her lips.

Hermione met him halfway as she lifted onto her toes, their lips meeting in a deep but slow kiss. "I won't forget, Evan. Good morning, by the way." She said with a cheeky smile.

Evan growled at her pulling away from him. "Good morning," He said grumpily.

* * *

 

"So, Kingsley… Basically, to put it lightly, I spilled my blood on the Sacred 28 boxes and resurrected seven wizards. And we are all living here for right now," Hermione said, tired of having to retell the story so many times.

Kingsley held himself back from lashing out and replied with a fake calmness. "Okay… And, who are the wizards, besides Mr, Rosier, here?"

"Regulus and Sirius Black, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Rabastan Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov."

Kingsley's eyes widened at the names, and Hermione gave a weak smile in return.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. We'll organize a press conference. You and the…  _the other wizards_. We'll have the Daily Prophet there, and the lot," the Minister said.

"So we're going to have a group of people watch all of us stand on stage like animals at the zoo?" Hermione said in an angry voice.

"Okay first of all, what the hell is a 'zoo?' Second of all, yes. Can you think of any other options?"

Hermione scoffed and replied. "Nevermind about the zoo. But what are we going to say to everyone? 'Hello, Hermione Granger has brought back seven wizards from the dead. Here they are. Okay, thank you for coming, the door is to your left.'" Hermione shook her head at the chance of that even happening. "We need something to soften the blow, in a way. We need an excuse for why we intend to let these wizards roam around in society. Because that is what you plan to let them do, correct?"

"Well, not exactly…"

Hermione held up her hand and closed her eyes in defeat. "Kingsley, I'm going to stop you right there. I don't care who you are, what your profession is or even if we are friends. I am telling you right now, that you will do what I say, yes? They are not going to be caged in a house for the rest of their lives. I am apart of those lives, Kingsley, so I will be just as trapped as them. I don't give a shite if the others do not like my wizards. They can sod off for all I care," she said with an angry tone.

"I have done enough for the wizarding world, have I not? Besides, now I have brought back seven men who are all competent enough to be assets, and we could help grow the wizarding population as well. Our kids could be brilliant, Kingsley. Think about it- five pureblood families coexisting with a muggle-born witch. We could change the stigma of purebloods only associating with people of the same blood status. Inter House relationships at their best- combining some of the greatest Slytherins with the greatest Gryffindors. It's remarkable."

Kingsley continued to watch her as she spoke once more. "You know, I've been spending all of this time stressing about what others will think of me and what others will think of the guys, but when it comes down to it- those people don't matter. I need to take care of  _myself_  now, Kingsley. I can't always be the cautious little girl that I was in the war, who would save anyone that she came across. I mean, I am, but I am choosing to save different people this time. This is my life, Kingsley. I can't let others dictate what I can or cannot do. I will do as I please, and others will have to accept it or not. Isn't it my turn to be happy now, Kings? Can't it by my turn to be the spontaneous one?" Hermione said, a bit of begging at the end of her sentence.

"Hermione, we have to think about bettering the wizarding world, and whether or not this will benefit us."

Hermione's eyes had a cold look in them when she responded to the wizard's words. "I will not allow you to bring harm to me or my soulmates. Do you understand? I love you Kingsley, and I would love it if you could be with me on this. I need you to be on my side. This is important to me. I know you are the Minister, and it is your responsibility to keep everyone safe, but they  _are_  safe. They will be safe, Kingsley."

"She is right Kingsley. You know that she is right." A voice spoke out of nowhere, startling Hermione and the two wizards.

"Sirius! It's great to see you again," Kingsley said with a smile, as he stood up and shook the other wizard's hand.

"It's good to see you too, Kings. You haven't aged a day!"

"Oh give me a break, Sirius. One shouldn't lie to the Minister, you know," the wizard spoke jokingly.

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. "The Minister?! Well done, mate. How is it?"

"Thank you, thank you. Yes, it is great. Well, most days at least. Hermione here is about to make my job a lot tougher soon."

"Shut it, Kingsley," Hermione sneered. "Back to what you were saying before?"

"Right, yes. The press conference. It is our best bet right now. We mustn't hide this any longer, and people finding out about it through a rumor is not going to end well. You all need to be seen together by a trusted group of people. After the conference, I suggest that you give the public a few days to take it all in."

Hermione nodded her head a bit reluctantly at the advice.

"I also think that perhaps you should take a few weeks off of work. I know how dedicated you are, Hermione, but this is for your safety as well. Can we agree to this?" Kingsley said, looking at Hermione as if he knew that this would turn into another argument.

"Can I work from here, then?" She questioned with hope.

"You aren't going to take no for an answer, are you?" He sighed out.

"You know me too well Kingsley." Hermione smiled.

"Yes," the wizard replied. "It is both a blessing and a curse, darling."

* * *

An hour had passed, and Hermione was now sitting in the library with Regulus, both of them browsing through the bookshelves.

"Oh, Gods… I completely forgot," the witch exclaimed.

Regulus looked up with questioning eyes. "Forgot what?"

"I still haven't gotten around to telling Minerva. Oh, she's going to have my arse for not telling her sooner."

Regulus tilted his head. "McGonagall? She's still there?"

"Regulus, sweetheart," Hermione smiled, "she's the headmistress."

"Sweet Salazar. I did not see that one coming."

"There's no one better for the job. She's great, really," the witch said with adoration in her voice.

"I'd pay to see that," he scoffed.

"Come with me, then. Please?"

Regulus was surprised how quickly she had decided that she would invite him with. "I-I mean I guess I could. Are you sure?"

The witch rolled her eyes at his skeptical words. "Of course I'm sure. Perhaps we should bring… the twins? Just to reassure Minerva, in a way."

Regulus felt sadness seep in, "Hermione, I get it, don't worry. I don't think I would feel quite safe if someone like me was there in the castle."

"Regulus, I didn't mean it like that. It's not that you are unsafe or anything… It's just, well, it's been hard for Minerva since the war. She watched her colleagues, her students, her friends, die. She's become very guarded, and having the twins there could soften the blow, you could say."

"I understand. It's fine, Hermione," the wizard said, although Hermione wasn't too sure that he was actually understanding.

"Regulus, look at me. You know that I adore you for who you are. I like you because you are you. Please don't ever think that I would lie to you like that. Okay?"

"Alright. I'm sorry, I am just nervous, and I don't want anyone there to think that I am going to hurt them or that I am coming with bad intentions because I'm not and-"

Hermione leaned forward and kissed Regulus slowly on the lips. "You're rambling; it's going to be fine. I promise."

Regulus closed his eyes and let out a breath, nodding at her affirmations.

"Tillie? Get me the twins if you could, please. Tell them I have an adventure for them," Hermione spoke out into the room, waiting for the small elf to appear.

Regulus tipped his head to the side. "Adventure?"

"I just want them to go faster, to be honest."

Regulus chuckled at her guilty smile.

* * *

The three wizards stood beside Hermione as they apparated to the main gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Well, here it is in all of its glory," the witch said, somewhat lacking.

"It looks… different. Are you sure this is the same Hogwarts?" Gideon asked, looked over at Hermione for confirmation.

"It's not the same Hogwarts," Hermione spoke softly. "Things have changed. So much of Hogwarts has changed…"

The witch looked off into the distance as she continued. "Sometimes… sometimes I still see the broken stone and the… bodies. It all happened, right here. This is where it started… And this is where it ended."

Hermione shook her head and grabbed Regulus' hand, while her other hand intertwined with Fabian's who was standing on the other side of her. Looking at all three wizards, she nodded and began to walk towards the gate, when a house elf popped up on the inside.

"Hello, I am Hermione Granger. I am here to see the Headmistress. Let her know that I am here, please."

The elf nodded and popped away quickly, just before popping back in front of them again.

"Enter," the elf said as the gates opened.

They all walked through, and she pulled them towards the two large doors to enter the school. Without even touching them, they began to swing open slowly, allowing them access. As they walked through the castle to the Head Mistresses office, Hermione spoke into the silence.

"I remember my first day back for my seventh year. The halls were just as quiet as they are now. No one spoke, no one laughed, it was just… silent. It was hard to even to make eye contact with the other students, and teachers as well. You could feel the sadness in the air. Like the castle was grieving too. It was like this for a few days, until one day I could barely even recognize that anything had ever happened."

No one spoke and continued to let her string them along the corridors until they made it to the same Eagle statue.

"We tried to salvage all that we possibly could. Quite a few spots in the castle are still the same, but there will be a select few areas that will be different."

Just as Hermione finished speaking, the stairs began to move into sight, and she led the pack up them into the office.

"Minerva?"

"Come in, just give me a moment!" McGonagall yelled out from another part of the office.

All four of them stepped into the room and stood to wait for the witch. The wizards were goggling the place, getting an eyeful of everything that they could. Hermione just stood, eyes watching her men.

An old voice spoke out into the room, startling the guests. "Is that the sound of my feisty little mudblood lioness, I hear?"

"Grandfather, don't use that word," Regulus said in a menacing voice.

"Grandfather? Young man, you must have me confused with someone el-"

The old wizard was silenced when Regulus turned around to face the portrait head-on with a hard glare.

"My Gods, you really are a Black... How on earth…"

The old wizard was cut off by the voice of another portrait, although this one sounded grumpy and angry. "Must you always speak, Phineas? Some of us are trying to sleep if you would please."

"Oh shut up you dusty old bag," Phineas Nigellus Black snarked out. "You," the wizard spoke to Regulus, "state your name."

"Regulus Arcturus Black the second. Your great-great-grandson."

"By Gods… You're little Reggie! Oh, thank Merlin that you aren't that pathetic excuse for a wizard, your brother Sirius. I don't know where he went wrong."

"Mhm.."  "Yes.."  "Quite true," a significant amount of the other portraits spoke in agreement.

"But you," Phineas continued, "you were a marvelous child. Always listened, and got sorted into Slytherin, of course. Perfect grades, powerful dueler, particularly intelligent. That's my great-great-grandson, gentlemen. EVERYONE, TAKE A GOOD LOOK!"

The other portraits rolled their eyes, while a few covered their ears at the loudness.

"Oh my, can you spot the resemblance? It's uncanny," the portrait of the old Black gloated.

"No, considering the boy doesn't have a mediocre grey beard as you do, you senile man," mumbled a portrait of a wizard that was on the opposite wall.

"Excuse me? How dare you! I will have you know-"

"Be quiet you old coots! How many times must I tell you to keep your mouths closed unless I say!" McGonagall snapped as she walked down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she lifted her head from the papers that she had been holding in her hands.

"Hermione to what do I owe the plea- the Prewetts? And is that… Regulus Black?" She gasped, dropping the papers onto the floor in shock.

"Oh Hermione Jean Granger, what have you done?"

"Why do people always say that…" Hermione groaned.

Minerva threw up her hands in disbelief. "Who else is reckless yet brilliant enough to rise wizards from the dead?!"

"Well…"

"Just tell me what happened," the older witch said quickly. "Short and simple, please, it is all I can handle right now."

"Short and simple? I fell, spilled blood on some boxes, and brought Fabian Prewett, Gideon Prewett, Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Evan Rosier, Rabastan Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov back from the dead. I am soul bonded to each one, and I am technically married to all seven of them as well, and will need to produce children with them."

"Pardon me, little mud- ah,  _witch_ , did you just, perhaps, say the name, Sirius Black?"

"Your ears do not deceive you, Phineas," Hermione sighed. " I did indeed say, Sirius Black."

"Damn it all to hell..."

"Well, I for one, have to admit that I truly did not expect this to happen. How extraordinary…" A familiar wizened voice spoke up right after Phineas' snide remark.

Hermione sneered at the words of the previous Headmaster. "Oh, so this is the one thing that you didn't manipulate someone into doing? How shocking!" She spoke, with a sarcastic bite. "Albus, there truly is no nicer way to say this, so I will just come right out with it: kindly fuck off," the witch spat out.

Most of the portraits gasped at her words, although one of them was entirely the opposite, letting out a bellowing laugh. "Ha! Oh little know-it-all witch, I could never tire of your sweet, sweet words. I hate to say it,  _truly_ , but I approve of her, Regulus."

"That's great, but I was not looking for your approval in the first place," the youngest Black sighed. 

"Oh I see, I see," the old wizard winked, showing off a sly smile. "You love her already, don't you? Ah. Young love, so innocent and gentle."

"W-what? No! That's not what I meant!" Regulus said, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Silence! Please, Phineas. No more commentating," came the heavily-accented, Scottish voice of the Headmistress.

"Fine. I see how it is Minerva," the old wizard pouted out.

"Good, I'm glad." The older witch rolled her eyes when she watched the wizard cross his arms over his chest and pout like a small child. She swore, with each year that passes, the crazier the portraits become.

* * *

"So the conference, will you be able to attend?" Hermione asked.

"I am afraid not, my child. But, do know that I will be supporting you even if I am not there. You will get through this, Hermione. I have no doubt about it."

"Thank you, Minerva. It means a lot, to have your support and friendship," Hermione said kindly.

"Of course. Now, will that be all for today?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could take a stroll around the castle? I would like to show them all around since it's been so long," Hermione asked, introducing the second part to her visit.

"By all means, do what you must. I will see you soon, then? Visit me after the conference."

"Alright. Goodbye!" Hermione said, walking out of the door.

Once the door was shut, she let out a sigh. "That was more work than I expected, to be honest."

"It went well in the end though, that's what counts," one of the twins spoke.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Gideon. Now, I have a few places that I want to take you all. Sound good?"

All three wizards nodded in confirmation, and Hermione led them towards their first destination. "We'll start on the first floor, because the ground floor has nothing new really, that you guys haven't already seen before. " Hermione said, as they walked to the entrance right outside of an unused girls lavatory.

"Uh, why are we here? We've seen this before," Fabian said with confusion.

Hermione smirked, "there's more than what meets the eye, boys."

They shook their heads and chuckled, continuing to follow Hermione into the old room.

Suddenly, a booming voice screeched throughout the small space. "Who is here, in my bathroom?!"

"Myrtle? You brought us to see Moaning Myrtle?" Regulus asked, not excited to be around the nutty ghost.

"Not exactly," Hermione said. "Hello, Myrtle. It's just me, Hermione Granger. I brought some friends with me, and I am going to show them the secret passage."

The ghost of the young girl came flying above their heads. "Oh, it's you… The bushy-haired girl. Where is Harry? He is my friend, you know," Myrtle said, fluttering her eyes.

"Oh, I'm  _sure_  he is Myrtle. Unfortunately, Harry isn't with me today. But, I will bring him by the next time I come around. Yes?"

"Hm. Fine." They all watched as the ghost went sailing back through the air, and into one of the stalls.

Hermione turned to look at the three men standing beside her, and a bright smile came over her face. "So, my handsome wizards. What do you know of The Chamber of Secrets?"

"It is a chamber filled with secrets," both Fabian and Gideon spoke at the same time.

"You fools," the youngest wizard huffed out. "It's a chamber, said to house a beast, but it has never been found."

"Correct, Regulus. Except for that last part. Harry found it. And it's right here," Hermione said, motioning with her hand.

"In a sink?" The black-haired boy asked.

"Not in.  _Under._ "

Fabian laughed at Hermione and opened his mouth to speak. "And how do you get underneath an entire sink? Hack away at the bloody tiles?"

The witch rolled her eyes and began to explain. "You get under it if you are an heir to Salazar Slytherin. You use Parseltongue to open it. Watch."

"Um, are you a secret descendant of Slytherin, and this has all been a joke?" The other twin questioned, semi-seriously.

"No, not me. Tom Riddle was. And he could speak Parseltongue, which meant that Harry could as well since Harry carried a piece of his soul inside of him. I just memorized the words. Or hisses, I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Okay, and you expect us to jump down that pitch black hole and hope for the best? This is barmy!" The youngest wizard said exasperatedly.

"Exactly," Hermione smirked, just before jumping down into the slide.

"Hermione, wait! You can't just do that?! Hey, can you even hear me?! Hermione!" Regulus yelled out, a concerned tone to his words. "Damn," the wizard said, beginning to move forward towards the hole.

"Hold on," Gideon said, holding out a hand to stop Regulus. "I know that Fab and I are the jokers and all, but are you really just going to go down there like that?"

Regulus nodded his head. "I can't just leave her down there. If she's going, then so am I. Are you both in or what?"

"Is that a challenge? Oh, little Black… You've done it now."

"Perfect," Regulus grinned.

* * *

"Ouch," Fabian groaned as he rubbed his tailbone. "You could have given us a little bit of a warning on the landing, beautiful."

"Oh yeah, sorry I must have forgotten!" Hermione yelled out.

"I'm sure you did…" Gideon muttered under his breath.

"No matter. While you were all debating on whether you should jump or not, I opened all of the doors."

"Hermione, why does this place still even exist?" Regulus asked.

"About that," Hermione started, "well, the staff wanted to destroy it, considering it had been a hiding place of a bloody basilisk. But, they didn't know if getting rid of it would affect the rest of the castle's foundation, so they kept it. Besides, no one can get in here anyways, including Harry, I'm sure. He can't speak Parseltongue anymore, and there's no way in hell that he memorized the words. Which means," she paused for effect.

"That you are the only person who can open the Chamber of Secrets," one of the wizard's spoke with awe.

"Correct again, Regulus."

"Bloody hell," the twins chimed in together once more, sounding eerily familiar to Ron.

"So what's in there now?" Regulus asked.

"Take a look for yourself," the witch said, extending her arm to motion for them to go ahead into the chamber.

"It's massive… How could no one know that it was here?" Fabian questioned, surprised that no one could find a room this big.

"Hmm. Good question, and one that I've thought a lot about. I often wondered if Dumbledore knew that it truly existed, and knew of its location. But, I don't know, to be honest. Dumbledore knew a lot of things, especially about this castle, but Salazar Slytherin? He was most likely twice the wizard that Albus was. He could have really hidden it that well that no one could ever find it. Or, Albus did, in fact, know where the Chamber of Secrets was, but he was either afraid that someone would get hurt, or he was waiting for Harry to find it himself. I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that."

"Wow…" They all whispered.

"I know. Anyways," Hermione said as she walked ahead of the wizards down the walkway, "this is where I destroyed Helga Hufflepuff's cup, which was one of the Horcruxes."

"How did you manage that?" Gideon asked.

"Well in order to explain how I got the tool to destroy it, I'd have to start from when Harry first discovered the chamber."

"So, go on then!" Fabian exclaimed.

"During my second year, things started happening. Strange things that no one could really explain. It started when Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch's cat, was found petrified hanging by her tail. On the wall right next to her, the phrase "the chamber of secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware," was written in blood. Initially, we thought it was Draco who was the heir. It just made sense, at the time with the way he was acting and such. Eventually, we found out that it wasn't actually him, and we were back to the beginning again. People started turning up petrified, and no one knew why it was happening," the witch said, trying to shorten the story.

"Petrified? Odd," Regulus said, confused at the series of events.

"Right. Well, it turned out that the students were being petrified by a basilisk. And one night I was in the library, doing some research on the chamber and the types of beasts that exist in the wizarding world and so forth when I finally figured it out. I realized that the snake had to be moving through the pipes, and that was how it was traveling through the school, petrifying the children. I ended up being petrified, and wasn't awake for the rest of the adventure, I guess. We found out that the heir was Tom Riddle, who was controlling Ginny Weasley through another one of his Horcruxes, a diary from when he was a young boy, that was given to her by Lucius Malfoy. She had been speaking with Tom through the journal, and he would command her to do things without her control. He was surviving off of her magic. He was in physical form, by that point."

"Wait, you're telling me that the Dark Lord was here in your second year and Harry Potter defeated him?" The youngest spoke once more.

"Basically, yes. Harry ended up coming down here to the chamber and fought against Voldemort. Not only him but the giant basilisk as well. He killed both of them, essentially, and saved the day once again. But, as it turns out, basilisk venom can destroy Horcruxes. How wonderful, that we had a dead basilisk laying right here the entire time? At the final battle, I used one of the fangs to stab the cup, in the end."

"You did… all of that?" Fabian asked, shocked at everything she had just said.

"Somewhat, I suppose."

"Our witch is bloody fantastic, mates. Holy shite…" Gideon muttered, looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

Regulus was turning red, but not in embarrassment, instead, it was due to anger. "I-I…"

"Regulus, are you alright?"

"Am I alright?! Are  _you_  alright?! You were fucking petrified!"

Hermione sighed, "I'm fine, Regulus. It was fine, in the end. You don't have to worry so much about it."

"I can't believe…" Regulus muttered to himself, in shock at what Hermione had gone through.

"That statue, over there, of Salazar, that is where the basilisk hid. It could only be commanded by the heir of Slytherin in Parseltongue. Back there, in that corner, there is a room with some chairs and a table. But that is it. On the other side, there is another door, but the door is shut. I haven't been able to open it, though. There are things in this chamber, that may never be discovered, and I think about that a lot. It is one of the most aggravating things to me that there is knowledge that cannot be accessed."

"I get that," Regulus added in after her, nodding his head.

"Sorry beautiful, we aren't as brainy as you nerds, but we still like you the same," Fabian said cheekily.

"Oh thank gods, I was so worried that you would hate me because I actually enjoy having a good education," Hermione said sarcastically.

The twins smiled.

* * *

 

"Alright, where to next?" Both of the twins asked, curious to see what else Hermione had in store for them.

Hermione replied, a smile on her face as she thought about the next location. "Seventh Floor. Filch's office."

Regulus looked appalled at the prospect and retorted. "Why in the world are we going there? He's the worst."

Hermione could understand the look that the wizard had on his face and knew that she would need to make this visit worth their while. Even if she knew that there was a considerable chance that everything could go wrong. Clearing her throat, she hesitantly spoke, trying to sound sure of her words. "Because I know that he isn't in the castle at the moment and that he has something in there of value." 

_One little lie won't hurt anyone. Of course, there is a chance that the grumpy old man could be festering in his office, but if the items are still there, then it will all be worth it in the end… Right?_

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the voice of Regulus speak once more. "How are you going to get in?"

Hermione giggled at the question, and couldn't help but tease the young wizard for his rather thoughtless question. "I'm a witch. I'm going to break in of course."

Regulus could feel the very tip of his ears heat up as if they were on fire, and he couldn't stop the grimace from forming on his face.  _Way to go, Regulus._  He bitterly thought to himself.  _Of course, she can get into the office; we have bloody magic!_

Gideon seemed to notice the emotions that fluttered across Regulus' face and spoke up before Hermione said anything else. "So... What's here that is 'of value'?"

Hermione didn't reply, but instead, she lifted her wand and cast a strong Alohomora on the lock of the beaten-down door. Peeking her head inside the room, she looked through the small space just to make sure that Filch wasn't present. "Thank Merlin…" Hermione mumbled to herself quietly.

"What was that?" Fabian asked when he heard her whispering quietly.

"Oh, nothing!" She said with an overly-enthusiastic tone. "Now, to answer your previous question of what here is of value," Hermione said as she walked over to the old rusty filing cabinet, and pulled out a drawer, setting it up on the desk that sat with barely anything on it.

" _This._  A box, filled with things that Filch nicked off of Fred and George. I wasn't even sure if it was still here, but I decided I'd look just to see, and it turns out it is. I thought that maybe you both would like to look through it."

Hermione looked over at the twins with a kind smile on her face. She watched contentedly as they both sported looks of surprise on their faces when they looked at the box. Finally, one of the twins broke the silence.

"Y-yeah of course. Thank you, really," Fabian said, stuttering from emotion and utter shock.

Hermione's eyes looked tenderly at Fabian first, and then quickly switching her gaze towards Gideon. "No problem."

Fabian knew his brother must be thinking the exact same thing as he was at that moment.  _Hermione Granger is fucking perfect._  There was no doubt about it. This witch had gone out of her way to do something for the both of them, and it wasn't even the first time.

_Where does she come up with these ideas?_ Fabian thought to himself. _Doesn't she have enough on her mind? She has so much to deal with, yet she still does such selfless things like this._

Gideon let his other half continue to stew in his thoughts and spoke up as an idea struck him. "Hey, beautiful, do you think… Do you think that maybe Fabian and I can take this to George and go through it with him? It doesn't feel right without him here. I mean, it was his brother… These are  _their_  things, you know?"

Hermione nodded her head at the question. "That's fine. You want to go now?"

Gideon looked over to Fabian and noticed him tilt his head forward in approval. He returned the movement before he replied. "Yes, that's what we were hoping."

Hermione was a little bummed that they weren't going to be accompanying her and Regulus through the castle any longer but understood the yearning that the twins had to share what they had been given. "Sure, just go back to McGonagall's office, and you can use her floo to get there. You know where George lives right?"

"Yeah, don't worry, he made us memorize his address so that we could come over whenever we needed to," Gideon chuckled.

"Alright," Hermione nodded, a small smile on her lips. "I'll just finish up with Regulus then?"

Both of the twins nodded as well and took a step forward towards her. Hermione found herself crushed between two tall bodies, and felt as if she had been taken back in time to when Fred and George did the same thing. She was finally able to breath when they both stepped back, untwining their arms from around her body.

"Bye!" They both said in tandem, waving their hands and walking out of the room and down the hall.

* * *

 

Regulus had been watching their interaction and rocked back and forth on his heels, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his trousers. "So… What now?"

Hermione grabbed Regulus' elbow and directed him out of the office into the corridor. "Just around the corner, right here."

Regulus stood frozen, debating on whether he should say something or not. Deciding that he couldn't stay silent any longer, he slowly began to speak. "Um, Hermione. This is just a wall. You're staring at a wall; you know that, right?"

Hermione smirked, "just give it a few seconds."

Regulus waited for the impending change that Hermione was claiming would happen, and his mouth dropped open as a door began to appear on the brick wall.

Hermione looked at the door with triumph, and moved towards, running her fingers over the intricate patterns that were revealing. "Aha! Still works."

"H-how did you do that?! What is this place?" Regulus said, his voice filled with wonder.

"This is the room of requirements. Also known as the room of lost things. You walk in front of the wall and think of something that you desperately need. For instance, I could wish for the Gryffindor common room, and when I open this door, that's what would be on the other side. The room changes into whatever you want it to be."

Regulus was intrigued and continued asking the witch questions in his anticipation. "What did you change it to?"

"I changed it to the room that it was before the war. I simply changed it to a room filled with lost things," Hermione said, her shoulders rising up and down.

"But why?" He asked, perplexed at the reasoning that she had, and why out of everything that she could desire, it would be a room like this.

Hermione knew that it was an odd request, to have the room filled with avalanches of random items, but she had a feeling as though she needed to be here. There were still things that she needed to explore, and this was one of them. Coming up with the most straightforward and most truthful explanation, she replied. "Because someone needs to find them."

Regulus nodded, realizing that she was right and that if he were as curious as she was, he would be doing the same thing.  _Probably not so out-right though…_  He thought.

As they walked into the room, the door sealed behind them.

"He hid one of them here," Hermione said sporadically.

"Who?" Regulus asked. "Hid what?"

"Tom Riddle," she answered, her eyes turning harder and colder by the second. "He hid a Horcrux here. It was The Lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. We found it, the night of the final battle. Except, Vincent Crabbe cast a Fiendfyre, and it got out of control, to the point where none of us could do anything to stop it from spreading. The Horcrux was destroyed, but consequently so was he. Crabbe died here, while Draco and another Slytherin managed to escape the room alive."

"How did you get out?" Regulus wondered aloud to her, the questions falling out of his mouth almost unconsciously.

Hermione immediately cringed when she thought about the dreadful departure. "We flew. I hate flying, you know?"

Regulus was astounded at what she had just said. He swore he'd never heard anyone say those words in his life. "You  _hate_  flying?! How is that even possible?"

"Regulus, you and I both know that it is possible. Besides, it's dangerous. It doesn't give me enough control. I hate broomsticks," Hermione rationalized.

Regulus shook his head vehemently, "you're bloody crazy!"

Hermione was used to this response already and could do nothing more but give a small shrug. "Tell me something I don't know."

Regulus was still reeling from her unusual words and took a moment to shake away the thoughts. "So," he said with a sigh, "are we just going to look around?"

"To be honest, yes. That, and, I am just very nosey, and this room is curious."

_It's just a room filled with rubbish; I don't get how it can be as mysterious as she thinks… Oh well, I'm spending time with her, and that is more than enough for me._  "I suppose," Regulus spoke.

"Well come on then, no better time like the present," Hermione said, grabbing onto Regulus' hand and walking in between mountains of lost things.

Hermione's eyes moved over the room with glee. "I've always been perplexed by this room. It's almost as if the room is alive, and breathing. Like it has a soul. Of course, it's just magic, but I tend to forget that quite a bit, that magic actually exists."

"So you grew up in the muggle world. How was it?" Regulus asked, genuinely interested to hear what she had to say.

Hermione was excited to talk about her childhood, and about the world that she was born into. "Yes, I did. It was… normal. You know, here, we have magic, and we can rely on it, and it's amazing. But in the muggle world, some things are just as magnificent as magic. I mean, the things that they can do… The weapons and technology that they have… It's mind-blowing."

Regulus was confused at the way that she was speaking about the muggle world. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Hermione said, lifting a hand up to a curl, twining it around her finger in concentration, "for example, hypothetically one can be killed with a simple spell. Just one flick of the wand and someone's life can be ended. But in the muggle world, all it can take is just one move of the finger on a trigger, and someone can be dead too. Our spells, they are weapons, yes? In the muggle world, their weapons can be even more catastrophic than just spells. The things muggles have achieved, it's a little scary in a way," she finished off, meeting eyes with Regulus. "You were taught that muggles were the enemies, as a child, right?"

Regulus seemed a little hesitant to confirm her words because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Hermione noticed that the wizard was taking longer than usual to reply, and smiled at him, indicating that it was okay for him to say what he wanted to. Nodding, the wizard finally replied. "Correct. I think quite a lot of ancient wizarding families were taught that."

Hermione wasn't surprised. Over time, she seemed to notice a pattern with the pureblood families, more specifically the families from the Sacred 28. The reactions and opinions of muggles appeared to be radically opposed, although it varied with each person. She bit her lip in thought, attempting to words things right within her head, although nothing seemed to make much sense. Giving up, she just replied as best as she could at that moment.

"Right, and they aren't wrong. I mean, they are, but… How do I explain this…" Hermione scoffed at her lack of diction and continued as she made sense of her thoughts.

"You are right to believe that muggles could be an enemy and that they are scary beings. For instance, they have crafted something called a bomb. Similar to the Bombarda spell, as you could probably guess from the name. But the muggle bomb, it could obliterate an entire city, all at once. That's frightening, you know? But not everyone is like that, of course. A lot of muggles are good people. Terrific people. I guess you could say the same for the wizarding world though… They're quite alike if you think about it."

Regulus was perturbed at the fact that Hermione was saying that muggles and magical beings were the same. "What do you mean?"

It was quite simple for Hermione to explain, and she replied readily. "We have Aurors, and muggles have Police. We have Healers, and muggles have doctors. We have the goblins at Gringotts, and the muggles have the same thing but with humans instead. We are all the same; the only difference is that we have magic, and they do not. I think that is what makes them special though."

"Were your parents special?" Regulus asked, not even thinking before the question shot out of his mouth.  _I don't think I should have said that… Isn't this a touchy subject for her? Damnit, Regulus, use your bloody brain._

Hermione was a little surprised at the question, but otherwise, she wasn't bothered. It seemed almost normal to speak about. "My parents? Yes, they were special I suppose. To me at least. They had their own powers in a way. They helped a lot of people as dentists. In the wizarding world, all it takes is a spell to fix your teeth, but muggles can't do that. So, my parents do it for them. They spent years learning how to do it and worked endlessly to achieve their goals. They had a purpose in life."

"Who are the bad ones then?" He asked. "The ones that magical children were told about when they were younger."

_How do I say this…_  Hermione thought to herself. "The bad ones… There are bad muggles, of course, but they are no different than in the wizarding world."

"So everything was a lie then?" Regulus asked, feeling betrayed in a way. "Everything that my parents told me was never even true?"

Hermione quickly shook her head to calm him down. "No, no, they weren't lying,  _technically._  When they said that muggles stole magic - at that point - yes they were lying. But when they told you that muggles were to be feared, they weren't lying. Muggles, of course, can be fearful, but so can wizards and witches. There is no difference."

Regulus felt so disorganized; like his entire life had been a lie, and he knew nothing anymore. He could picture little five-year-old Regulus, being told that he was never to associate with muggles.  _And now I'm married to a muggleborn, how ironic… If only my family could see me now._

Shaking off the thoughts, he wondered aloud why these families would spread such lies to their own children. "Why would they say that then?"

"Because that is what they were taught," Hermione started. "How is a young child going to conclude that what their  _own_  parents are saying to them is a lie? Kids look up to their parents, so of course, they are going to believe what they are told."

"You said that it wasn't true that muggles wanted to steal our magic. Is that really true?" He asked, somewhat nervous to hear the answer that she would give.

"Muggles don't want to steal our magic because most of them don't even believe that there is such a thing as magic. To them, it is all fairy tales or myths. That doesn't mean that if they were to be made aware of magic existing, that they wouldn't find a way to obtain it. Of course, they would- it's magic for Merlin's sake! Everyone wants magic. But the Statute of Secrecy works well, so I don't think it will be happening anytime soon." 

_Hopefully…_  She thought.

"Don't you wish your parents had magic, though? They knew about magic, so why didn't they try and do something to take it?"

"How would they?" Hermione asked, her brows furrowed in bewilderment. "It isn't like they could just suck the magic out of us. And yes, I sometimes wish that my parents had magic, but other times I am glad that they don't. Because if they had magic, I don't think I'd be the person that I am today. My life could have been completely different. Besides, I am proud of all of the things that I have done in my life. Well,  _most of them_ , anyway," she said, pausing shortly as she continued, looking kindly at Regulus.

"I mean, I brought you back. I wouldn't dream of that changing. You are special to me, Regulus, and I think that I've known it for quite a long time. I knew that there was something special about you when I read that letter in the locket. I researched about you after it was found; I needed to know who you were. I don't know why, but I'm glad that I did. I knew that you weren't like Bellatrix. I could feel it. You were just lost, that's all. As I said before, Tom Riddle was not born to be a Dark Lord. Just as you were not born to be evil. We choose who we want to be, and you did that, in the end. You chose to be brave, and you should never be ashamed of that. You sacrificed yourself for others, and that is one of the most selfless things on this earth. You don't have to prove anything to me, Regulus. Your brother, on the other hand, there's room left for improvement, to say the least."

"T-thank you, really, Hermione," the wizard said with a flustered look.

"You're welcome," she said.

"A-and about Sirius, you should talk with him a bit, maybe… I'm not saying you need to forgive him or anything, but… he wasn't always this way. The wizard that is here right now, that's not my brother. That's not the brother that I know. Well, knew, I guess."

Nodding slowly, thinking about his suggestion, she retorted with a question. "Hmm, and what about you?"

Regulus was thrown off by her turning the conversation towards him. "What about me?"

"Are you going to ever speak to him?"

_Fuck. This is not something I thought I would be asked. No matter, it's okay, Regulus. Just tell the truth._  

"One day… Maybe one day I will be able to talk to him like we did when we were children. It's just… when I look at him, all I can think about is the image of him running away. Or, him ignoring me in school. But, it wasn't all his fault, though. I should have been more resilient against my parents. I should have stuck up for him."

Hermione was disappointed that Sirius had left such an impact on his little brother, harsh enough for him to remember it even after death. Trying to hold back her anger, she replied in a hard tone.

"How were you supposed to do that? You were just a young boy. You were afraid. And I get that the blame isn't completely on Sirius, but you were doing what you were told!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in emphasis.

Letting out a sigh, she opened her mouth to go on. "It was never in your nature to go against authority like it was for your brother. Sirius  _lived_  for that feeling. When I said that you were brave, Regulus, I meant it. Though, that doesn't mean that you always have to be brave. You can't. It's just not how you are, and that is okay. You look out for yourself, and it's normal. Hell, Sirius seemed to do the exact same thing when he left. You can't be everything, Regulus. What you are right now, it's enough. You don't need to be a Gryffindor, you know. Being a Slytherin is okay. It is more than alright to like being who you are, or to like having certain characteristics. Besides, everyone needs a little Slytherin in their lives. To be surrounded by lions all of the time? Where's the fun in that?"

Regulus was flattered at her words, and the result left a smile pulled across his face. "You really are amazing; you know that?"

Hermione snickered and flipped back one side of her hair dramatically. "Oh be quiet, you. Being a suck-up isn't going to get you in my pants any easier, Regulus Black," the curly haired witch teased her shy wizard.

"I-I that's not what I meant at all!" He sputtered out.

Hermione continued her teasing, leaning in closer to his ear she whispered. "So… You don't want to shag me, then?"

Regulus could feel his entire body begin to heat and didn't know how to reply as he was so flustered. "W-w-well yes b-but-"

Hermione smirked in victory and closed the distance between them. Their lips met slowly at first, with Hermione's hands stroking each red cheek that seemed to be burning underneath her palms. Regulus had stood there frozen, trying to take in what was happening. Once it had hit him, he felt himself reach out and run his hands over her ribcage, down to her hips, relishing in the feeling of her curves. Hermione found herself pushing even closer into the wizard's body, trying to touch every part of him that she could. Just as one of Regulus' thighs moved to position itself in between hers, she heard a voice ring out.

"Uh, hello…"

"What the fucking hell!" Hermione yelled, startled by the unknown voice. Turning around, she looked at the slightly translucent form of her old classmate. "Vincent Crabbe? What in Merlin's name, how long have you been here?!"

"Well I don't know, a few years or so, I'd reckon," he muttered out, looking like he was genuinely trying to count off the years.

Hermione let out a sigh, shaking her head. "That's… That's not what I meant. How long have you been watching us, is what I meant to say."

"Oh right. Uh, only about five minutes, I guess."

"And why are you here, watching us?" She asked, eyeing him inconspicuously.

"You're the first person I've seen in a long time."

"Damn, I forgot about that…" Hermione whispered. Clearing her throat, she spoke again in a louder voice. "So you're a ghost here, now?"

The boy looked around, thinking hard about his answer. "I think so? I don't think I'm alive, so…"

Hermione smacked herself in the forehead in exasperation. "I- never mind," she shook her head, her curls falling over her shoulder at the movement. "Well, um, how are you?"

"Fine, I suppose," he shrugged. Suddenly his eyes looked more thoughtful, and he opened his mouth to speak again. "Listen, Granger, what happened?"

Regulus watched as his witch looked like she was in pain, and her eyes shifted to look down towards the ground instead of looking up at the boy like she had been doing before. She faltered before she replied. "You died. It's been about five years now. Voldemort lost."

"Did he really? Damn, I honestly was  _not_  expecting that…" Crabbe said, much to Hermione's surprise.

"Seriously?" She asked, shocked that the Slytherin actually thought that Voldemort would have won the war with no doubt. The exasperation that she felt before came back once again. "You know what, forget it."

The boy shook his head and spoke earnestly. "I can't  _forget_  it; I never learned the Obliviate spell."

Hermione looked over at Regulus whose mouth was hanging wide open due to Crabbe's reply. "Fucking Merlin…" She muttered, pretty sure the ghost could hear her.

Changing her tone into a fake apologetic tone, she replied. "You are right Crabbe, forgive me please."

The boy opened his big mouth and spoke casually. "I can't; you're a mud-"

Hermione threw her hands up to stop the boy from finishing his sentence, knowing that it would only make things worse. She could feel the rage inside of her that represented Regulus' feelings and looked at him pleadingly to not respond to the name calling. He only relaxed the tiniest bit at her look, but it was more than enough for her to speak without any fear of the two wizards getting into a row.

"Alright, let's talk about something else! How about Draco, yes? Um, Draco is doing well, for your information. He married Astoria Greengrass and had a kid too."

Crabbe seemed to process her words, nodding in understanding. "What about Greg?" He slipped out quickly.

"Goyle? I don't know much about him, to be honest. He's alive, though. But I don't know what he's doing these days," she said, trying to remember anything she could in regards to Gregory Goyle.

"Who is he?" Crabbe asked, pointing his finger towards Regulus, who had been watching the conversation.

"Regulus Black," Hermione answered, interested in the ghost's response to the name.

Crabbe didn't show any signs of recognition and tilted his head as he replied. "Huh, never heard of him. Related to the Blacks though?"

Nodding dubiously, Hermione spoke in reply, "yes."

"That's cool, I guess." The ghost said, shrugging his shoulders.

Regulus knew he shouldn't be surprised at the boy not knowing his name, but a part of him felt a little disappointed.

Hermione could feel the pang of sadness that Regulus was feeling, and grabbed his hand within hers, giving him a tight squeeze in comfort.

"So… Have you seen anything interesting in here?" She asked, trying desperately to redirect the conversation to something else.

"I've seen some chairs, and some books too. There's a lot of boxes, I guess," Crabbe said rather blandly.

_Why do I even bother to ask?_ Hermione whined out in her head.

"That's great to know, thank you. Well, Regulus and I are going to walk around a little bit, to look at the different items," she said, trying to end their conversation.

"Ok," Crabbe said, nodding, "you lead the way, and I'll follow."

Hermione didn't know what to do at this point. She knew that he had to be at least a little bit lonely, but she didn't expect him to want to spend even more time with her than he already was. She felt too guilty to refuse his advances at joining in and replied, "actually, I meant… Nevermind, let's just go."

Regulus looked as if he were trying to hold in a laugh, and Hermione shot him a glare out of the side of her eyes.  _Smug bastard._

The three of them began to stroll around the large room, Hermione and Regulus' eyes roaming over as much as possible, while Crabbe paid no particular attention to anything.

"You were right Crabbe," the witch spoke out, a tone of discouragement in her voice, "there's not much here."

"Yeah."

* * *

The three of them found themselves deep in the room, finally coming across items other than plain rubbish.

"Why are there so many damn ties in here? I swear there are enough ties here for an entire class of students to wear…" Regulus asked, slightly annoyed at the striped garments that were hanging throughout the room like streamers at a party.

Hermione laughed and commented as well. "There are so many hair bands in here; I bet most of them are mine, to be honest. Those little shites disappeared all of the time."

Hermione was shuffling through a pile of miscellaneous things when she felt a soft material in between her fingers. Looking down at the item, her face went from confusion to surprise and then finally settling on a grimace of indifference. Holding the material up in the air in between her two fingers, she turned towards her companion and spoke with indignation.

"Regulus,  _please_  tell me that this is not one of Lucius Malfoy's bloody satin ribbons that he ties in his hair."

The wizard's head snapped up, and he turned to look at the ribbon that Hermione held far away from her body. Even with one look, the wizard knew that Hermione's thoughts were correct. He gave a small laugh and smirked at the distasteful look on her face as he replied. "No, that is definitely his."

Hermione groaned at the fact that she would find the ribbon of Lucius Malfoy out of thousands of things in this room. "Gods…"

"I knew I lost this! I was looking for it for weeks," shouted Regulus, his voice filled with glee.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, turning around to get a good look.

Holding up a green shirt, he turned to show Hermione. "My lucky quidditch jersey," he smiled.

Hermione raised a brow, biting her tongue from her initial response:  _You're kidding, right? Yeah, not a good idea, Hermione._  Instead, she smiled and asked, "you have a lucky jersey?"

"Don't judge me; everyone has their lucky item! I swear!" Regulus defended himself, surprising Hermione. 

_Apparently, my tone wasn't as neutral as I had hoped, damn._  

She was brought out from her thoughts at the sound of Crabbe's deep, monotone voice.

"Once I had a pair of socks that always gave me a good hair day."

"Is that so, Crabbe?  _How interesting._ " Hermione muttered sarcastically, as she leaned over a large pile to grab a book towards the top. She lost her balance and her legs hit into the items before she snatched the book and took a step back. As she retreated, she heard the sound of something falling onto the ground beneath her feet, sounding almost like a coin.

"Oops," she mumbled, bending down to pick up the fallen object. As she looked down, she realized that it was a ring. When she stood back up, she began to inspect the piece of jewelry in her hand. The entire ring was silver, with a snake that curled around an emerald stone. As she turned it around to continue her observation, she noticed a small clasp on the side of the ring.

"It's a poison ring…" She whispered, confused yet intrigued.

"Huh?" Regulus muttered.

Hermione walked over to the wizard, lifting up the ring towards his eyes. "This ring, it's a poison ring. It won't open though."

Regulus quickly looked at the ring and replied nonchalantly. "It probably only opens for the owner. Looks like a pureblood type of thing."

Hermione huffed at his lack of attention, though he did say that it could be a Pureblood ring, which was something that Hermione didn't know when she first looked at it. Moving her eyes back to the ring, she began to inspect it further, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She had looked at the band of the ring, but it was just a typical silver band, no writing on it. Turning the ring around, she noticed an engraving on the back.

Hermione could tell that it was clearly a family crest of some sort, and she felt a sense of familiarity with it.  _Come on Hermione, think! You've studied the ancient families before, you've seen all of the crests…_  

Finally piecing together the letters that made up the crest, she found out who the ring belonged to.

"Lestrange. It's a Lestrange ring," her voice filled with triumph and wonder.

Regulus was still mooning over his newly found clothing, and replied with a simple, "Wow."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his flat reply and took one last look at the ring before pocketing it.

Concluding that she wasn't going to get much more out of Regulus anytime soon, she turned to the ghost of Crabbe to say her farewells. "Crabbe, I think it is time that we leave. It was nice seeing you again."

"Before you leave, will you tell Draco that I'm sorry? I never meant for the fire to get so out of control as it did."

Nodding slowly she looked at him with sympathy. "Sure. I will let him know. Maybe he'll come to visit sometime soon as well."

"That would be nice. Um… T-thank you, Granger," Crabbe said, looking like it was almost painful to say.

Hermione wanted to laugh but held herself back. She lifted a hand, and waved at the spirit of Vincent Crabbe, with one last farewell. "You're welcome."

"Well, that was successful, don't you think?" Hermione asked Regulus once they had returned to the manor.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it was great. Thank you for taking me, really." Regulus smiled, finally seeming to come out of his daze.

"No problem," the witch said. She looked at him with a sincere smile and continued. "Plus, I like spending time with you, so it was worth it."

Regulus blushed and smiled sheepishly at her response, and Hermione leaned up to press a short kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, Regulus was still standing there looking like he was waiting for more. Patting him on the cheek, she had to let him down.

"I am going to go talk to Rabastan for a bit," she said and noticed the frown on the youngest wizard's face.

Relenting one last time, she pulled him in for another kiss, slipping her tongue out and swiping it over his lip, and then moving to his own tongue. She pulled back, smirking at the same sad face that Regulus had before. "Don't forget; we have the conference this evening at six. I'll meet all of you down here, and we will go together."

Regulus opened his mouth to begin speaking but shut it before he let any words out. He did this a few times before he decided to risk it and ask what had been on his mind. "Hermione, about the conference… What are we going to have to do? I mean, I don't really want to speak much…"

"It's fine; you won't have to speak," she reassured him. "I will do all of the talking, and you just stand there looking as handsome as always, okay?"

"O-okay…" He flushed, saying the word quietly.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of the door to Rabastan Lestrange's room and lifted her hand to knock on the wood.

She waited for a voice to sound out, but nothing could be heard. Instead, the door creaked open by itself, and Hermione took this as her cue to come inside. When she stepped in, she saw Rabastan sitting in a chair; his legs crossed over the other as he held a book up to his face.

"Rabastan?" Hermione said, walking closer to where he was sitting.

"What is your question?" He huffed out, not sounding angry but also not sounding the most friendly.

"Well, it's not really a question per say…" She said, feeling nervous for his reply.

"Okay… So why are you here then?"

"I was at Hogwarts today and was roaming around the various rooms, and I came across something in the Room of Hidden Things. I think it belongs to you."

Rabastan seemed curious and looked up at her with furrowed brows.

Hermione, no longer wanting to drag out the wait, reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring that she had found. Holding it between her thumb and index finger, and held it out to Rabastan. She looked so intently at him, looking to see what his response would be, even if it were just the smallest movement.

His eyes widened when he caught sight of what Hermione was carrying, and he reached out a trembling hand. As he took hold of the ring, he seemed to be lost in another world.

Hermione stood in front of him, waiting patiently and watching, as he kept his eyes glued to the lost item.

Finally, Rabastan spoke, making Hermione jump to attention. "You found this?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "is it yours?"

"No," Rabstan shook his head morosely. "No, it's my brother's."

Hermione didn't know how to respond, so she just responded with "oh." 

_How articulate, Hermione._

"It was a gift from my mother and I after Rodolphus had gotten sorted into Slytherin. My mum and I designed it ourselves, although my father insisted that it should have a poison compartment just in case Rodolphus got into any trouble. I never knew that he had lost it."

Hermione nodded, showing that she was listening and that she understood. "It's a lovely ring," she said. "I'm sure he cherished it greatly."

"He did…" The auburn haired man said, choking slightly on his words.

Hermione felt immense sympathy at that moment, and she wanted nothing more than to gather him up in her arms and console him. She knew she could not do that so abruptly, so she settled on keeping herself still and relying on her responses. "Well, then I am glad that you have it now. To remember him."

"Yes, to remember him…" He nodded, a piece of his long hair falling in front of his face. "I remember that I used to be so jealous of this ring when we had given it to him. I always wanted it. Now, I sort of wish that he had never lost it, to begin with…"

"I understand. But, I imagine that if he had to give this ring to anyone, it would have been you."

"You really think so?" He asked her, sounding like a small child who was looking for approval.

Holding her hands, she responded with her honest answer. "I do."

Rabastan nodded and a minute of silence hung in the room before he began to speak again, though this time his eyes did not rise to look into hers.

"Listen, Gra- Hermione, uh."

"You don't have to say anything, Rabastan," Hermione said with a small smile on her face. "I'm just returning what was lost."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the long awaited chapter 15! I apologize that I didn't update for such a long time. Originally, I was simply having writer's block, especially because I hadn't had anything prewritten. I had only prewritten up to chapter 14, so I needed to come up with new ideas and write chapter 15 completely from scratch. Then I got a little busy with University, and couldn't find the time or the energy to write. Eventually, I got inspired again, and went to begin writing, but began to feel a little sick. So, I was sick for an entire weekend, along with a few of the weekdays. I have finally gotten my head somewhat together and was able to write this chapter. I'm going to be honest, I don't like this chapter much. I found myself writing the dialogue so quickly and easily, but it was the rest that was really screwing me up. I think it shows in this chapter that I wasn't as organized as I usually am, and for that, I apologize. But, as for right now, I will not be changing anything with this chapter. I have spent days editing this and going through it all, and I have absolutely no more energy to do anything more with it. I just want to post it and be done with it, lol. Thank you to all of those that commented on the story throughout these past three weeks that I haven't been on, and I am sorry for not replying. I will try and get around to replying to the reviews because I really do appreciate them, and enjoy interacting with all of you who read my story. Now, I cannot promise that I will be back to my usual schedule of posting once a week, but I will try my hardest. I have posted a board for Crabbe on my Pinterest, so if you follow that then you can go, and check that out if you wish! For all of those who want to hear from Ron and to see interactions with him, your wishes will come true in chapter 16. I also wanted to touch a bit on the parts of this chapter where they visit Hogwarts and all of those certain spots. I tried to do as much research on all of the rooms, and I have written the entire outing as best as I can, so please don't give me a hard time for it. There will also be further interactions with Fabian and Gideon in the next chapter too. I also will hopefully write up a scene where Sirius can somewhat redeem himself with both Hermione and Regulus. With all of that said, I will now end this long ramble. Thank you for reading, and I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. EDIT: I also forgot to post the Pinterest board of the ring that belonged to Rodolphus, but I thankfully remembered and put it up! Go check it out if you wish.


	16. Chapter 16

"Sirius?" Hermione said, standing on the other side of his shut door. "I need to speak with you."

The door opened to show the wizard in question leaning against the frame. "So, we are talking now?" he said, sarcastically.

Hermione rolled her eyes with a huff, "shut up, Sirius. This isn't a joke. It's about Regulus."

"What about him?" he said, annoyed that she came to visit him only to speak of his younger brother. "What did he do this time?"

Hermione's eyes hardened as she glared at the wizard. "Sirius, you do know that he never really did anything wrong, to begin with, right?"

Sirius looked at the witch as if she were speaking a different language. "He became a death eater, Hermione!"

"Yes," she sighed, "but he didn't have much of a choice, did he? I thought you understood that by now?"

"He could have left," Sirius scoffed. "He could have run away."

Hermione almost wished she were speaking another language at that moment, so that she could get out of this conversation. "You think he should have run away like you did? Because James, so righteously took you in? Where would Regulus have gone, Sirius? He didn't have a safe place like you did. His safe place WAS you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sirius growled out with an offended huff.

"A few nights ago, I tried to wake Regulus up from a nightmare and he was a mess, to put it lightly." She frowned as she remembered that night. "At one point, I thought he had woken up, but he wasn't really as awake as I had imagined. Basically, Regulus thought that I was you. He yelled your name, begging you not to leave him, to  _stay_  with him. He was crying, gripping onto me like I was going to run away. Like  _you_  were going to run away. So, I promised him that I would stay. That you would stay."

"Y-you did what?" Sirius stuttered out.

"I promised him," Hermione said bluntly. "He begged you to stay, and I promised that you would."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. "Well, what am I supposed to do now?!"

"Sirius, the sentence explains itself. You stay. You have to be there for him; you can't just abandon him again. This clearly has affected him quite a lot, and you can't keep ignoring it. I won't let you."

"I just don't see the poi-" he started, until the agitated witch in front of him cut off the rest of the sentence.

"Who are you hurting by acknowledging Regulus? Because, I hate to break it to you, but neither James nor Remus are here anymore. Even Dumbledore isn't here to pass judgement on you and your decisions. But, do you know who is here? Me. I am here Sirius. Your little brother, he is here. Regulus, who came to you for safety when he had nightmares. The wizard who is so much more than his cold exterior shows. I mean for Merlin's sake, the boy almost passed out from happiness when he found his old quidditch jersey today," Hermione said with a small smile gracing over her lips.

"Listen, he isn't who you believe that he is, Sirius. I'm so damn tired of this stupid fight between you and Regulus, and I've come here to end it, right now. This is the last time that I will address the conflict that you both have with each other. It's up to you now; take the initiative and fix this bloody mess before we all go completely mad."

Sirius watched in awe as the little witch stomped herself through the door and into the hall. Once she had disappeared entirely, he threw himself into a large chair, closing his eyes as he heaved a sigh.

"Fuck."

* * *

Hermione had been sitting in the front room reading quietly when the twins found her.

She noticed the presence of the two men and lifted her eyes towards them. "Hello," she said with a smile before she returned to her reading, assuming that they would just continue to walk past her and go somewhere else.

Instead, she found herself with her head resting on Fabian's lap while her legs were lifted off of the ground to lay equally onto Gideon's lap as well. "I was reading, you know," she said with a pout.

"Yes, but when aren't you? That's why my brother and I have decided to lend you our services for a while," Fabian said, watching with amusement as Hermione's brows furrowed.

"Do I dare even ask what these services entail?" She murmured with a questioning tone.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands rubbing against her legs, and she shivered before she burrowed her face into Fabian, whose fingers were continuously brushing through her hair.

"How about you let us show you, instead. Sound good, beautiful?" One of the twins asked though Hermione was too distracted by the hands trailing over her body to make out who exactly it was.

Gideon peered over at his brother after they had been laying like this for a few minutes. Fabian gave him a knowing look and smirked as he shot his eyes down to his brother's hands that were rubbing Hermione's bare legs.

Gideon lifted his eyebrows as he looked to where his brother's eyes had strayed and began to shift his hands higher up her legs so that they lay on her thighs. Fabian nodded at this and Gideon knew what his brother had meant by the looks that he was giving him.

Gideon gripped Hermione's thighs and started to massage them with his long fingers. He rubbed them intensely towards the inside of her thighs and he heard the witch let out a quiet sigh at this, as she shifted her body around. He looked over as he saw his brother's hands started to caress the skin from the side of her face down to her neck, close to her collarbones. Gideon swore he could feel the skin himself as he stared at the hands that were identical to his.

After a while, their hands seemed to drift closer together; Fabian's trailing downwards towards her breasts, and Gideon's traveling upward to the apex between her thighs.

Hermione's eyes were still closed, though her brows would furrow occasionally and her hands would twitch along with them. Suddenly her eyes had popped open when she felt Fabian's hands slip underneath the buttons of her flannel and run over her breasts, down to the bottom, where a small patch of skin was showing. His fingers swirled around the tanned skin and she looked up into his eyes in questioning.

Hermione also seemed to register that his brother's hands were also traveling closer and closer to her heat, and her eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to begin speaking but nothing came out as she felt Fabian's fingers start to travel underneath her shirt. Hermione realized what they were doing and closed her eyes in surrender. Arguing was useless at this point; she wanted this just as much as they did.

Fabian looked up as Gideon's eyes seemed to widen on the skin that was showing as her shirt had ridden higher up. He moved one of his hands from her thighs up to her stomach and extra carefully ran a finger over the dark red scar that was revealed.

"What happened?" Gideon asked in a quiet whisper, and this made his brother notice the scar as well.

Hermione didn't even cringe at the question, as she was so used to it by now. "Antonin hit me with a curse when we were dueling in the Department of Mysteries."

"Does it still hurt?" Fabian asked gently.

"No, not exactly. Sometimes I will feel a sharp pain once in a while, but it really only lasts for a few seconds. I forgive him though… So please don't worry about it," she finished in a whisper.

The brothers gathered that she was telling the truth and decided not to push it at that moment.

Carefully, Gideon lowered his head towards her hip and placed a tiny kiss on the healed wound. Hermione smiled when she felt that and she lifted her hand to run through his hair in a gesture of appreciation. As Gideon pulled back, her hand fell from his head and back down onto the couch.

Gideon was determined to show the brilliant woman lying half on top of him, how much he appreciated her. He moved both hands to her waist as he stared reverently at her knickers. He brought a single finger to trail over her mound, and run down the cleft of her pussy to where her entrance was, signaled to him by the damp patch that had soaked the fabric.

Fabian's hands were getting more adventurous as well and he was currently teasing the tips of his fingers beneath the top of her bra, to feel the soft skin that lay hidden just under it. When he saw his brother's fingers start to rub her through her knickers, he finally trailed his fingers low enough to rub around the skin of her nipples and smirked when the witch moaned at the combined touches.

Before this went any further, Hermione gripped both of their hands and laughed at the yelps that the brothers let out when the three of them landed in Gideon's bed.

Hermione giggled a little at the bewildered faces of the two wizards and smiled at them with a teasing tone. "Wouldn't want someone to walk into the sitting room while you're both fucking me into oblivion, would you?"

Both men growled at her words and suddenly their hands were off of her body completely as they each stood on their knees at the end of her feet staring at her in contemplation. She looked a right mess, with her hair flared out across the pillows, and her clothes disheveled and hanging off of her body.

Gideon wanted so badly to take her right then and there, but he knew that they needed to thoroughly the subject of his twin's participation as well. "I say we should go easy on her the first time, don't you agree Fab? One at a time, today?"

The other wizard nodded and smirked as he pretended to be thinking hard. "Hmm, yes I believe I do agree. You go first, and I go second? I mean, you are older than me by two minutes…"

Gideon laughed and nodded his head. "Right you are, my dear brother."

Hermione just lay there with her mouth open wide in shock. Suddenly she felt a sharp breeze fall over her, only to realize that one of the twins had just vanished her of her clothes.

"What, not feeling patient today, boys?" She smirked and pursed her lips at them both.

Their blue eyes darkened and she could feel the anticipation in the air.

"How about," she started, "I strip Fabian of his clothes, and taste him a bit, while Gideon, you get started behind me. Alright, husbands?"

The two red heads were shocked at hearing her say this, and could barely register her pulling Fabian by his hands and pushing him on his back to lay underneath her where she had previously been sprawled out.

Now, she was straddling his clothed body, barely touching him with the intent to tease him. "Do you want me to take them off, Fabian?"

The wizard in question nodded frantically at this and sighed when he felt her fingers pull at the robes that were covering his clothes underneath.

As Hermione went to turn around to throw the robe onto the ground, she looked at Gideon who was still kneeling but was now at the end of his brother's feet, staring at her naked back from behind, eyes wide open and breathing deeper with each minute that passed. "Aren't you going to get undressed, Gideon? Or do you want to watch until I have your brother's cock in my mouth?"

Gideon looked floored and Fabian was wiggling underneath her trying to grab her attention back to divesting him of his clothes. Gideon did nothing but nod, and Hermione chuckled at the movement. What he was nodding at, she wasn't sure.

She turned back around to the wizard who was laying impatiently under her and grabbed the end of his customary Weasley sweater that Hermione assumed Molly had quickly made up for both of her brothers. Underneath the fingertips was a plain white button up, and Hermione made work of the buttons extra slowly, delicately rubbing her finger tips at each bit of skin that was revealed as she opened each button.

She ran her hand over his heart and could feel it beating beneath it. She smiled at this and continued until she had stripped him entirely of his shirt which left him clothed from the waist down. She waved her hand which vanished both his shoes and socks onto the floor next to all of the other clothes that she had haphazardly thrown over her shoulder.

All that was left were his boxers and trousers, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue slowly, or if she would give into her desires and just rip all of his clothing off of him as quickly as possible.

She had made her decision and had slowly begun to unbutton and unzip his pants. Once she had done that, she finally let her body straddle him fully so that her wet pussy was rubbing over his clothed member.

Fabian gasped when he felt something actually touching him finally, and closed his eyes hoping that the blasted witch would just touch him directly already.

Hermione began to pull down his trousers and once they were on his thighs, she stopped and looked at his grey boxers that covered his erect dick. She could see the outline of him and bit her lip hungrily. She was really starting to lose her patience.

When she couldn't take the snail-like movements any longer, she curled her fingers over the band of his boxers and quickly pulled them down so that he was fully exposed. He had a trail of orange hair that led from his stomach down to his cock, and Hermione ran her fingers through the sparse hairs. She quickly waved her hand once more so that all of his clothes that were still wrapped around his thighs were gone and now they were both completely bare.

Hermione leaned forward over Fabian and touched her nose to his as she began to take his mouth with hers roughly. Their chests rubbed against each other and she moaned when she felt his nipples brush against hers. She had her hands grabbing at his hair and was running her tongue along the inside of his mouth, right over his own as well. She felt powerful over him and nipped his bottom lip as they breathed hard through their passionate kissing.

She felt Fabian lift his hands and run them down the length of her back, following the trail of her spine, until they reached her bum and grabbed her while pushing her pussy down against his cock. She broke the kiss when she felt him moving himself against her wet flesh and started kissing him down the side of his neck. All that could be heard was their hard breathing and grunts.

As she continued her kissing down his neck, she began to move her body along with her kisses, pulling herself out of Fabian's hands. She trailed them down to his chest and kissed until she got to his red nipple and ran the tip of her tongue over it. The wizard's breath hitched at this, and Hermione closed her mouth over it as she sucked and bit at it.

This made Fabian finally let out a real moan and she couldn't feel more pleased with the sound.

She could also hear another heavy breathing coming from behind her and presumed that Gideon was still kneeling and watching her like a hawk. Wanting to give him a show, she ran her tongue down Fabian's chest back to the trail of hair that runs down his abdomen. Finally, her tongue reached the tip of his cock that was laying against his stomach.

Fabian hissed as he felt the very tip of her tongue trace the ridge of the head of his dick, and then pulling off to move lower and run the flat of her tongue all the way up his shaft to the tip, only to encircle the head once more before she took him in her hand and closed her lips entirely around him. The feeling of her wet tongue laving at his cock was intoxicating and he had to hold himself back from thrusting his hips to drive his dick deeper into her hot mouth.

He turned his gaze from Hermione's mouth sucking him in, to his brother who was staring at the sight of the both of them in this situation. "Gid…" Fabian muttered out breathlessly.

Gideon's head shot up to look at his brother to nod at him. He started to undress himself and couldn't stop staring at Hermione's mouth taking in his brother's cock, and her ass raised in the air on her knees as she was bent over in between Fabian's legs. He could see the glisten on her pussy when she moved. He could feel himself throbbing in his boxers and peeled them off quickly, taking himself in his hand and pumping as he moved a little closer to Hermione from behind. Letting go of his hard cock, he grabbed each cheek of Hermione's bum and she stopped moving her hips at the feeling. Gideon leaned his head forward and starting massaging her ass in his hands as he ran his tongue over her pussy, making her squeak turn into a moan.

Fabian growled at the vibrations of her voice of his dick and gripped her hair in one of his hands.

Gideon was running his tongue over her and back towards her clit to suck on it, which he knew would make her moan.

Hermione groaned at the wizard's ministrations and could feel the tightening feeling in her abdomen the longer he kept going.

Finally, Gideon had nibbled on her clit and Hermione's hips twitched as she felt her orgasm break over her. She groaned over Fabian's cock until she pulled her mouth off of him and laid her head against his thigh as she came down from her high. Her hands were clutching at the covers of the bed and her hot breaths against the younger twin's cock made him twitch.

Gideon continued to lick and suck on her until he needed to pull back to take a deep breath. "Gideon, please…" Hermione whispered against Fabian and she heard the rustling of movement until she felt his hot member rub along her pussy.

"Are you sure?" She heard the grumbling voice of Gideon and she nodded.

"Yes, Gideon… I'm sure."

She supposed he nodded his head behind her until he realized that she couldn't see him and felt the head of his dick position itself just at the tip of her entrance. Her hands gripped Fabian's thighs as she waited for Gideon to push himself in. She felt one hand grab her hip and then felt the stretch of his cock entering her.

Gideon moaned as he pushed himself fully inside of her warm hole and held himself still, gripping her hips with both hands tightly. "Fucking hell, Hermione…"

She started moving her hips to signal for Gideon to start moving as well and grabbed Fabian back into her hand as she pumped him tightly in her hand.

Gideon pulled out slowly before he quickly thrust back into her, the sound of his body smacking against hers filled the room. He continuously thrust extra hard when he pushed himself back inside of her and Hermione moaned with each thrust.

She realized she was neglecting Fabian and took him back into her mouth and just licked at him lightly, so as to not set him off too fast. Hermione was clenching so tightly around Gideon, and she could feel herself pushing her hips back against his.

The picture that the three of them made was raunchy, yet beautiful. The looks of pleasure on all of their faces were photo worthy, Gideon's eyes trained on Hermione's entrance, his mouth wide open sucking in all the air he could get. Hermione's eyes clenched shut along with Fabian's her mouth wide over his cock; his mouth gritted shut as his head was thrown backward onto the bed.

Hermione could feel Gideon start to move quicker and took it as a sign that he was close to coming. "Gideon… Please…" the witch panted out into the hot air surrounding them.

Gideon's hands tightened around her waist as he pushed a few more times until he thrust extra hard one last time. He let out a long groan when he felt himself spilling into the willing witch under him and continued to thrust periodically until his breaths slowed down back to normal. He watched as he pulled himself out of her, and stared at the white cum that was dripping out of her. He was broken out of his stare as he felt movement on the bed and watched his brother hop out from underneath Hermione and flipped her onto her back underneath him.

Both brothers stood at the end of her legs, staring at her dripping center. Hermione's pussy was contracting over emptiness, and she needed to have Fabian inside of her.

She had felt the beginning of an orgasm before Gideon had cum, and she was desperate to reach her own completion and she knew Fabian was too. "Fabian, please do it…"

Gideon snapped out of it when he heard her speak and came to lay down on the right side of Hermione's body.

Fabian looked down at Hermione's pussy that was dripping with his brother's white sperm. He ran the tip along the cum and moved the dripping cum back up to her entrance with his cock before he pushed himself in, while also restuffing the cum back into her. The sound was wet from the mixture of his brother's cum and Hermione's wetness.

It was so hot.

Gideon, watched as his brother lined himself up, and quickly pushed into her, fucking her roughly into the bed.

Hermione needed this and was thankful that Fabian wasn't going to go slowly with her.

The wizard tipped his head back towards the ceiling and his eyes were clenched shut as he grunted roughly.

Hermione turned her head to look at the other twin laying next to her and grabbed his hand in hers tightly.

Gideon stared at the angel right next to him, and couldn't help but think that this was quite possibly the most magnificent sight he's ever seen. Her hair was sticking to random spots on her face where she had sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes were hooded as they stared into his own, and her lips were red from sucking Fabian's cock, combined with biting her lip as she was at that moment. Her chest rose with her breaths, and her tits jiggled back and forth from his brother's thrusting.

This wasn't the first time he and his brother shared a witch, but out of all of them, this little one was phenomenal. The feelings already existed between them, whether it's from the bond or not. But things felt different with her. It felt like he couldn't get enough of her. Like he wanted to always be around her, with her, in her. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Hermione squeeze his hand tighter and he knew she was close. "Are you going to cum, wife?"

Hermione nodded frantically at Gideon's question and turned her head to look at Fabian who was impaling her with his cock. "Fabian, I'm gonna cum… Cum with me, please… Do it."

Fabian could feel himself close to the edge and Hermione couldn't stop her climax as she thought of both Gideon and Fabian filling her up at the same time.

Fabian came just shortly after she did, and he could feel himself spasming inside of her tight pussy, his cum pooling and mixing with his brother's inside of her womb. He pulled out and collapsed onto the other side of Hermione, and it was only then that they all realized that they could feel their magic flowing through each other, and the feeling of contentment running between them as well. Hermione turned and kissed Fabian gently, and then turned to do the same to Gideon.

"I quite enjoyed those ministrations" Her tired voice whispered into the room, causing the two men lying beside her to let out chuckles that soon was causing all three to laugh in tandem.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of her mirror, looking at her reflection with her head tilted in questioning.  _Damn, I'm going to have to dress up, aren't I? Stupid Kingsley and his foolish conference..._

_What am I even supposed to wear to something like this?!_

The witch sighed as she looked through her wardrobe. Finally deciding just to wear what she usually would underneath her Ministry robes, she pulled out a white button up, a black pencil skirt that zipped from the back, and some simple black heels. Once she had her outfit on, she was now left with the duty of her thick, curly, hair. She decided to bring it back into a low bun that sat just above her neck, easy enough to pull off.

She was standing once again in front of her mirror, her hands smoothing down the skirt that looked perfectly fine already. "Fuck it, let's just go."

* * *

"Alright, is everybody ready to leave?" Hermione asked, her head swiveling back and forth between each wizard. Each had a look of anxiety on their faces, though anger and annoyance were also mixed with the fear.

"Guys, I know this isn't something that you would prefer to be attending at this moment. I get it, really. But, there is no going back now. This has to be done eventually. There is really no better time to do it than right now. The sooner we get this out in the open, the better." She sighed. "Just leave this to me, yes? None of you have any obligation to do anything more than stand by my side, and try to behave."

Hermione turned her eyes towards every wizard besides Rabastan, Evan, and Regulus. "Especially you four. No starting fights, and no funny business."

Antonin's arms crossed over his chest as he raised an inquiring brow at the witch. "What do I get in return for behaving,  _Myshka_?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the question.  _Of course, there has to be something in it for him._

"Must you always need a reward of some sort?" she asked.

"Must I listen to you?" the wizard retorted.

"Alright  _Dogoroy_ , what would you like then?"

He stood still, not saying anything, just his finger beckoning her to come closer.

 _This should be good…_  she thought to herself as she walked up to his tall form.

"Yes?" she asked, her arms folding over her chest in resistance.

Antonin shook his head and pointed towards his ear for her to elevate onto her toes.

Once she stood, Antonin's hands grasped onto her hips, pulling her body directly against his. He bent forward slightly so that he could whisper into her ear, and Hermione tried to hold back the shiver that threatened to take over her body.

"I want you with me tonight,  _Myshka_. Don't think I don't know what you've done earlier with those two ginger fools. I want you beneath me tonight, screaming my name until you forget your own. I want to feel your tight little pussy around my cock. I want you to taste yourself on me,  _Myshka_."

"Mmm, but what if I want to be with someone else tonight?" Hermione said with a teasing smirk.

"Well, how smoothly would you like this event to go today? Because I can make it a hell of a lot harder,  _Myshka_." He threatened with a dark voice.

Hermione was amused, her eyebrows rising. "Is that so?"

"Quite."

She bit her lip and pretended to think hard about her next words. "Well, I suppose I could  _maybe_  spend the night with you… Then again, I could have Regulus fuck me too… Or maybe Evan? What makes you think that they couldn't fuck me just as good as you could?"

"Because I know little Black over there can't eat your pretty pussy the way that I can. Rosier can't make you beg as I can. Come on  _Myshka_ ; you know you can't resist it."

Hermione scoffed and turned to look at Antonin with a smirk on her face. "You really are something else, Antonin Dolohov."

"Of course I am," he said, a cocky smirk on his face.

Antonin lowered his head to close the gap separating their lips from each other, but Hermione pulled away out of his arms before they could touch. Antonin went to snatch her back, but she had already begun to walk over towards the group of glowering wizards who had been watching the entire interaction.

"Sorry about that... Antonin is feeling a little,  _needy_ , unfortunately. Now, shall we?" Hermione asked, her hands motioning to the floo. The wizards seemed to be hesitant until Fabian stepped forward and nodded his head.

Hermione walked out last, stepping into a room that was filled with rows of chairs. Towards one end of the room was a small stage, with a podium in the middle that was surrounded by more chairs on each side. Hermione let out a breath from her nerves, and turned back to the men who were standing by her, also peering around the room.

Hermione let out a breath as she started speaking. "Alright, well, here we are I suppose. I just wanted to say, before all of this chaos begins, that I-I'm really thankful that you all are here with me. It means a lot that everyone is taking this so well. And, uh, if any of you are feeling nervous or scared or even angry, please come and tell me so that I can help in any way."

Regulus nodded, along with the twins.

Just then a figure stepped up next to the witch, "Hermione! Sirius! And uh… everyone else! You're right on time. Now, the reporters will be here in around twenty minutes, so let's go over what is going to happen here today, shall we?"

"Go on then," Hermione said, her hands wringing her fingers, giving away her anxiety.

"To start off with, I would like all of you to be seated before everyone else comes in. Hermione, you shall stand behind the podium, yes? You are the spokesperson for today. I believe you should tell your side of the story before we open to questions. I know that you wouldn't prefer for comments and questions from the press, but we must let them have their say as well."

"Of course. I will tell them a shortened version of the story, Kingsley. I don't believe that they need to be privy to every single thing that has happened. There are things that are private which I intend to keep that way."

Kingsley let out a short laugh, "no matter what I say, you will still do what you want anyway, Hermione."

"You are a man after my own heart, Kingsley," Hermione said, smiling.

"Moving on," the older wizard continued. "This whole conference should last about an hour. After that, you will be able to go back to the manor, and as I said before, I think it would be best if you all stayed out of the public's view for a little while."

"Of course, Kings. Don't worry about it." Sirius said.

Kingsley let out a tired smile and replied. "If only you knew, Sirius. I can never stop worrying when Hermione is involved."

"Mhm, sorry about that Kingsley. You know you love me though, just like I love you," she smiled out.

Regulus furrowed his brows and stuck his hands into the pockets of his trousers, staring down at the floor.

He jumped slightly when he felt a hand come up and give him a reassuring squeeze on the back of his neck. He looked over to find out that it was Sirius who was looking at him with a short, knowing smile.

Regulus nodded in thanks and lifted his head, his posture righting itself back to his usual disinterested demeanor.

Hermione had felt the random bout sadness that Regulus was experiencing, and had seen the older brother try to comfort his little brother. She looked at Sirius and smiled at him, her eyes tender and sweet.

Sirius felt a sort of pride and accomplishment at both Regulus and Hermione's responses.

Steeling herself, she clasped her hands around her waist. "Alright, let's go do this then."

* * *

"Oy! That's my seat, Rosier. Out," Antonin said with a gruff.

"Your seat? Fuck off, Dolohov." Evan said.

"You fuck off! I'm sitting here so get the fuck out," the older wizard said, his voice rising.

Evan scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I don't have to obey you, Antonin."

"Listen here, you little shit-" Antonin started to say, his finger poking into Evan's chest.

Hermione's voice cut both men off, "Rabastan, would you like to sit here?" Evan and Antonin looked at her with wide eyes, effectively putting an end to the petty fight.

"I suppose. Thank you," Rabastan said, as he moved over to the chair that sat right beside the podium that Hermione was standing at.

A few moments later all of the wizards were situated, and Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes at the seating order. On the left side of her sat Fabian, Gideon, and then Sirius on the end. On the opposite side sat Rabastan, followed by Evan, Regulus, and finally Antonin.

_So much for inter-house unity._

* * *

Hermione could feel her nerves reach a peak when she saw Kingsley walk across the room to open the double doors that separated her and her wizards from the outside world. She watched warily as a group of reporters shuffled excitedly into the room, only to come still from shock once they realized who was sitting in front of them. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard a few of the witches and wizards gasp loudly.

"Everybody, please take your seats. Quietly! We will begin as soon as everyone is seated." Kingsley shouted into the mass.

Finally, once all of the people had settled down, Kingsley came and stood in front of the stage as he began to address everyone.

"Good evening all. I would like to thank all of you for coming here on such short notice. I expect everyone to act professionally, and respectfully. This is a privilege, to be invited here today, so please do not take this for granted." Kingsley said, nodding his head at Hermione and then walking away towards the side of the stage.

Hermione cleared her throat, and almost all of the eyes were settled on her in rapture, spare the select few who were still too shocked by the wizards sitting beside her.

"Hello," she started. "I am Hermione Granger, although I suppose most of you already knew that… You all have been brought here today because something rather extraordinary has happened. Now, I will be the only one speaking today, so keep note of that. I will explain the situation that has risen, and then you may ask questions once I have finished."

Looking at the nodding heads of the reporters, she continued.

"Right. So, my job in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts consists of my colleagues and I retrieving objects of all kinds that have been tainted with magic. My department partners with the Auror Department, when an item is found that is particularly dark and cannot be touched. I came across a few items that all seemed to have a connection with one another. The objects refused to be cleansed of the magic that it held. Naturally, I began to conduct some research, and was given a lot of answers from Lord Lucius Malfoy." The various witches and wizards seemed to take surprise at the mention of the ex-death eater.

Hermione smirked, "make sure to write his name down, please."

After a short pause, she spoke once more. "Anyway, I found out that these objects could bring back males from death, which are from certain extinct bloodlines that are in the 'Sacred 28.' The magic of these objects becomes activated when they are exposed to the blood of someone who can handle the power of bringing the wizards back. Once I found this out, I decided that they should be put away, for safety reasons. This sort of power was not something that should be tampered with. So, as I went to put them away, I had a small accident and exposed the objects to  _my_  blood, which ended up mixing with the magic of the objects. I woke up to the sight of seven wizards that I knew was dead, and I assumed that I was dreaming. A while later I realized that it was not, in fact, a dream, but that I had actually risen these wizards from the dead. These wizards are the ones that are seated on either side of me: Sirius and Regulus Black, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Evan Rosier, Rabastan Lestrange, and finally, Antonin Dolohov. All wizards whose families were apart of the Sacred 28, and whose bloodlines had died out."

"Since it had been my blood that brought the Wizards back, it was my soul that became bonded with each of theirs. Therefore, I am bonded to all seven of the wizards sitting beside me, and will be their wife and the mother to their children."

"Many out there would be horrified at the prospect, but I have made my peace with it, as have my wizards. I am aware that some of these men have done terrible things before their deaths. But, I tell you all now, that I, Hermione Granger, forgive them. I do not expect everyone to forgive them as I have, but I do expect that they will be treated like human beings. I will, personally, ruin the lives of anyone who attempts to harm these wizards. Ignore them if you wish, but they will not be sought out for revenge. I suggest everyone think twice before they do something questionable."

Right as she ended her sentence, a pudgy looking man with a bald head raised his voice and spoke. "Miss Granger, what about the lives that have been taken from these death eaters? Are they excused from murdering people?"

"First of all, sir, I said keep the questions until the end. Did I say that I was finished? No. As for your second question, no they are not excused from the things they have done. But they will not be committing the same crimes that they previously did. Believe me, sir, I will make sure that they all stay in line, as I expect they will do for me as well. We take care of each other. Just as you all do with your family."

"Miss Granger, what are your future plans for you and these… wizards?"

Hermione looked at Kingsley who just stood with a blank face on and wanted so badly to throw her arms up in exasperation. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she answered the question.

"Plans have not been set yet. My hopes for the future, though, would be that we can all pursue our own jobs should we wish to and that we will live contentedly. And since you two have decided that the questions could not wait to be asked, then we might as well let everyone else ask their questions as well."

As soon as she said this, it seemed like an uproar of people had hundreds of questions that filled them to the brim. "What do your fellow friends and colleagues think about what has happened?" A woman in her mid 40's asked.

Hermione felt a little annoyed at the question. "That discussion is not up for debate, but I can tell you this: my true friends will continue to stay by my side no matter what."

"What sort of punishment is going to be given to the guilty wizards?"

Hermione could feel the tension double in the room at the question and tried hard to push down her anger.

_Think about before you speak, Hermione…_

Suddenly she felt her clenched fist being touched by the person to her right. She quickly looked in that direction and looked at the blank face of Rabastan.

He wasn't facing her but was instead peering upon the reporters, as if nothing was happening. He looked to the world like a cold-hearted killer, while his elegant fingers squeezed hers in comfort. Hermione was thankful and clutched onto his hand just as much as he was holding onto hers, and looked forward to reply.

"I'd imagine being dead for over five years would be punishment enough, wouldn't you say? What good would punishing these wizards do for you? Are you telling me that you honestly would lose sleep over these few wizards? You don't have any control over them, to be quite honest. Do you think that I would allow someone dangerous to be roaming around free? Plenty of death eaters have been released from Azkaban on good behavior, so what is to say about them?"

Another voice shouted out into the room, "Miss Granger, will your surname be changed?"

"No," she shook her head. "No, I was born a Granger, and I will die a Granger. Any children that I have will keep their father's name. Perhaps the child's name will be hyphenated with the father's, along with mine? Who knows, really, but it isn't something that I am worried about at the moment."

"Miss Granger, what do any of your past lovers have to say about this? Such as Viktor Krum for example."

She could sense the confusion in some of the wizards, Antonin and Evan mainly. "My relationship with Viktor is not something that I am willing to discuss, but I do not doubt that he is happy with his fiance Anneliese. As I'm sure, you've already heard."

Kingsley took the next moment to speak up. "Alright everyone, we have time for one last question, please."

Hermione looked out and pointed to a homely looking woman. "You, go ahead."

"Hello Miss Granger, I was wondering if there will be a wedding anytime in the near future?"

"Hello, I do not know if there will be any ceremony in the future. It would need to be a discussion that I would have with my companions. Depending on their feelings of the matter, a decision will perhaps be made," Hermione said, letting out a sigh.

"Thank you all for coming out here today. That concludes this conference. You can all exit through those two doors behind you," Kingsley clapped.

Hermione had stopped listening and was staring at an empty corner of the room, catching the attention of her husbands. Sirius observed her as she flicked her wrist and whispered under her breath, sending a spell silently to the blank corner.

_Just what is she doing?_

* * *

Hermione waited until the room was empty, besides her and the seven wizards, Kingsley having walked all of the reporters out of the room, and followed after them.

"Seems we have a bit of a pest problem today," Hermione said, as she lifted her wand, and cast a spell into the room. Suddenly, a woman with curly bleach blonde hair was revealed, her glasses askew, and her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Hermione sneered, "Rita, how lovely of you to join us today! You know, I thought you would have learned your lesson the first time around, but I suppose that just wasn't enough," she said in a condescending voice.

"I-I…" The witch in question spluttered out, shuffling around on her feet.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the movement of the blonde witch attempting to flee. "Ah, ah, ah, Rita. I wasn't finished talking. Where are your manners?"

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Hermione said as her eyes moved over Rita's frozen body with disgust. "Such a curious little bug, aren't you? You haven't improved much on your stealth, either. You gave yourself away five minutes before the doors opened, love. Don't make movements in an otherwise empty room. One of these days, your little snooping might just end up killing you," she whispered towards the end with a laugh.

"I think I'll deal with you later," she said with a sneer. "You should have never tried to cross my path again, Rita. Perhaps if we sat and had a small chat about you possibly attending the conference, then you might have been able to get your story with no hassle. Actually, that was a lie, there's no way in hell that I would allow you to be within five feet from me. Now, stay silent, and don't even think about trying to escape, because I can guarantee you that you will not be able to." Hermione smirked, conjuring a glass jar that mimicked the same jar as before, and stuck the bug's body inside. The jar abruptly disappeared, landing itself within Hermione's room back at the manor.

"Princess, what are you-" Sirius began.

"Well, I say that went pretty well if you ask me," Kingsley broke in, cutting off Sirius' question. "Now, shall we all go into my office for a few minutes? I have some things I need you all to sign."

Hermione watched as Sirius gave her a questioning look, and ignored it, walking away with Kingsley. Just when she thought she could finally feel some relief, a shaggy head filled with orange strands grabbed her by her wrist.

Turning towards the person, she went to tell them off for grabbing her, but she was left standing in shock when she realized who it was. She turned around and gave Kingsley a nod, telling him that she would meet him and her wizards in his office when she was finished.

* * *

"Ron?" Hermione questioned aloud. "I didn't know that you would be here, I thought you were still traveling for Quidditch?"

Ron's eyes squinted in contempt. "Kingsley let it drop to dad that all of this was happening, so of course I would be here! Considering my ex-girlfriend is announcing that she is married to multiple other men at one time. You really thought that I wouldn't show up? Please, 'Mione. You know better than that."

"First of all, I am not your ex-girlfriend, Ron. We didn't even officially date. Second of all, you should have owled me or something; we could have met up and talked privately. I don't think that this is necessarily the right time-"

"When the bloody hell is the right time then?! When were you going to tell me that all of this had happened? I knew about my uncles, but I didn't know about the other half of wizards, that, may I add, consists of death eaters! Am I really that unimportant to you, that you wouldn't tell me this? I thought we were friends! Of course you told Harry before you told me, nothing new."

Hermione flew off the rails at that point. "You know what, Ronald? Yes, I told Harry before I told you. But can you honestly not come up with a reason why?!"

* * *

Regulus could feel anger rising in his stomach, and knew that something was wrong.

They had all gone with Kingsley to begin managing their bank accounts, along with re-establishing themselves as alive wizards. Rabastan was in the middle of bickering with Kingsley, and the others kept to themselves. Regulus turned back around and just as he laid his hand on the door handle, someone spoke.

"Black. Where are you going?" Antonin questioned with a hard tone.

"I, um… I'm just heading to the loo?" The young wizard said, a nervous tone in his voice.

"Regulus, seriously?" Evan said.

"Fine, I'm going to see if Hermione is okay. I can feel her, and I can tell that she's angry right now…"

Antonin let out a grunt of surprise. "Shite, that's what that was? I assumed it was just me."

"Uh, yeah," Evan said. "Considering there is probably  _never_  a time when you aren't angry, Dolohov."

Antonin crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm still getting used to this, Rosier. Fuck off."

"How about we all go? Clearly something is happening, and unfortunately," Rabastan said as he glared at Evan, Regulus, and Antonin, "not all of us have completed the soul bond yet."

Antonin smirked at the dark looks that both Rabastan and now, Sirius, had on their faces. "Understandable. Shall we?"

"I think I will stay here. Good luck…" Kingsley muttered.

Sirius and the twins nodded before they followed the other wizards out of the door and down the hall. Just as they went to turn the corner, they heard Hermione's agitated voice shouting at someone. Sirius came up to the front by Regulus and Evan and realized that it was Ron she was speaking to. He sucked in a small gasp before turning to look at all six of the wizards.

"Listen, we can't go out there right now. She needs to handle this herself."

Regulus looked over at his brother with wide eyes, "Sirius, really? She's clearly angry, and I can't just let her continue to feel like this."

"Reggie you don't understand," Sirius sighed out as he ran his hand through his loose hair. "This is something that Hermione  _has_  to do herself. We are the reason why those two are fighting right now, and making ourselves known will turn the conversation even worse than it already is. Just… trust me on this, okay?"

Regulus closed his mouth that was just about to retort and gave a sigh and a short nod. "So who is that anyway? They must be close for them to get this worked up over something."

"It's another Weasel, Little Black. Just look at the hair," Antonin scoffed out.

The two twins that had been quietly listening suddenly spoke up with a severe tone. "Excuse you, Dolohov. That is our nephew right there, so I suggest you think before you speak."

Sirius shook his head, and kept his eye on Hermione and Ron, as he began to speak.

"That is Ronald Weasley. Best friends with Harry and Hermione. He makes up the 'Golden Trio.' Youngest Weasley boy, as far as I know. You never know with Arthur and Molly, there could be even more little gingers running around… Anyway, Harry told me that he's been playing Quidditch since the war- he's a keeper."

"You're telling me that, is a keeper? Doesn't look much like one…" Regulus said, condescendence dripping through his tone.

Evan let out a chuckle and turned to look at the youngest wizard. "Mate, I was thinking the same thing."

"Rosier, Reggie, could you both shut up? Thank you." Sirius said

"Anyways," Sirius continued, "he's been playing Quidditch ever since he and Hermione decided not to date. He tried to push for a long-distance relationship, but 'Mione wouldn't budge. Told him that they both wanted different things."

"Can't blame a bloke for trying," Gideon said with shrugging shoulders.

"What kind of wizard is he?" Regulus asked.

"Well, he's-" Sirius began, but was cut off by a gruff voice that held a mocking tone.

"He's an amateur at best. I remember watching the little weasel at the department of mysteries. Let's just say he's not known for his power. Really, he's honestly just known for being Harry Potter's best friend. Reminds me of Crabbe, a little bit…"

Rabastan let out a chuckle at the comment. "I hate to say it but you're correct."

"You guys are terrible… He was a kid!"

"Oh come on red, quit compensating for him-" Antonin spoke before he halted at the sound of Hermione's voice.

* * *

"I didn't run off immediately to tell you because you weren't here. You left, Ron!" Hermione spoke as she raised her head and made eye contact with Sirius.

"You left, again. Just like before." She said, her head turning back to look at Ron.

"Ron, I know I told you to go and do what makes you happy, but I haven't heard from you in almost two years. You never tried to make any contact with me. I sent cards for holidays, and never once did I get a response."

"Well, I've been busy! You know that Hermione."

"No, you haven't Ron. You've been avoiding me, clearly. You write to your mother; I know you do. So don't lie to me."

Ron threw his hands up in exasperation. "Okay, fine. You're right, just like always. Maybe I have been avoiding you, so what?"

"So, why would you expect for me to come running to you? You're telling me that you're ignoring me because I didn't want date you?"

"Pretty much, yes," Ron nodded.

"Ron, do you understand how stupid that sounds? I told you that I wanted you to be happy and that I still needed you as my friend. You know that we would never have been good together."

"You know what, you're right. We would have been terrible together. I could never be with someone as controlling, frigid, and cold as you. I could never be with someone who brought back death eaters and is okay with it. You're a bitch, Hermione."

When the not-so-hidden wizards heard this, they were shocked. Regulus and the twins' mouths had fallen open, whereas Evan and Sirius held a sneer on their face. Rabastan's eyes seemed to harden but quickly had to throw out his hand to grab onto Antonin's elbow from behind. "Antonin, don't."

Dolohov growled at this and attempted to calm himself down a bit.

They all watched in rapture as Hermione's wand leveled itself right at Ron's throat within a second. Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been turned on in the witch, and everything about her had changed. "Ah, Ronald… I was hoping that you wouldn't say something stupid. False hopes, I guess. Would you, perhaps, like to rephrase what you just said?"

Ron smirked at her and shook his head. "Nope. I think I am all good. You?"

"I'm great. Thank you, for telling me that. I wouldn't want you to have to hold that in any longer you know? It's good to get things out into the open. I appreciate it, Ron." Hermione said, with the most sincere voice that she could muster. Ron seemed to be a little confused but held his smirk in place as she lowered her wand and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

After she felt his arms circle themselves around her back, she lifted her eyes once again to look to where she knew her wizards were listening in.

One of her hands lifted from around Ron's shoulders and went up to run her fingers through the hair at the back of his head. Right as she did that, she tightened her fingers around the wizard's hair and tugged his head back roughly. His head was tilted back, and he began to complain and struggle in her arms.

"'Mione, what the hell? Let go, that bloody hurts!"

"Oh does it? I apologize, Ronald. Just bear with me for a minute, will you?" Her voice spoke, her hot breath making him freeze when it blew across his bared neck.

"Now, let's address the 'controlling, frigid, and cold' comment. You were correct on the controlling part, Ron, I'll give you that one. I've known this for a long time. Although, the frigid and cold part, I don't think I've heard that one much. What I am confused about, is, how on earth would you know if I was frigid? Shagging at Hogwarts was not an option. I was much too busy for that. But after? Did you think that just because of one kiss, that I would lay down and spread open my legs and let you fuck me?"

Ron's breath seemed to leave his body when he heard such vulgar words come out of the mouth of his innocent Hermione. "I will admit it, I had thought about it before. Schoolgirl thoughts, or fantasies really. Puberty and everything, you understand this I'm sure. You starred in a select few, amongst others. Viktor was in a few, Lockhart unfortunately, Oliver Wood, Blaise Zabini surprisingly, once Draco was in it, Oh and I forgot one of my favorites. Do you want to know who?"

Ron's eyes were clenched shut at hearing Hermione admit that she thought about shagging him. His head nodded in confirmation, intrigued to find out who else she thought about. "Can't be anyone worse than Malfoy."

Hermione laughed a little at this and brought herself closer to his ear. "Charlie."

"C-Charlie?!" The flustered wizard choked out. "You fantasized about my bloody brother?!"

Hermione nodded, "mmm yes, actually. You know, the whole 'dragon tamer' mentality. But enough of that. Let's just say that if you think I am frigid, well, perhaps you should speak with your uncles."

All of the wizards who were not-so-secretly listening in on the conversation turned towards the two Prewetts, giving them questioning looks. The twins did nothing more than smirk in return.

"Onto the Death Eaters claim," Hermione said as she dragged her lips across his skin. "Do you think I did it on purpose? Use your brain for once, Ronald." Hermione sighed out.

"Told you," Antonin whispered mockingly to the twins. "Even she knows that he is a dolt."

"I don't want to have to hurt you, Ron. I really don't. But if you continue to act like a prejudiced little shite, then you might just find that you will no longer be able to play Quidditch. That would be tragic, wouldn't it?

"You bitch…"

"Oh yes, that brings me to the next point!" Hermione said enthusiastically and grabbed him by each side of his face and they both stared at each other. "Ron, do you think I would have survived in this world if I wasn't a bitch sometimes? A mudblood, witch?"

"Don't say that. Don't call yourself that."

"Interesting… I can't call myself a mudblood, but yet, you can call me a bitch?"

_I wonder…_

"Ron," Hermione started, "call me a mudblood."

Ron looked sick at the thought and shook his head frantically. "No. No, 'Mione. I'm not calling you that."

Hermione smiled at his words, and brought a hand to his right ear and pinched it between two fingers, pulling it down roughly. "Then don't ever call me a bitch. Understood?"

His cheeks turned red at her actions and he lowered his head as he mumbled quietly. "Fine…"

"Look at me," Hermione said with a hard tone. Slowly he lifted his head and watched her nervously.

"I love you, Ron. You are one of my very best friends. We've been through the thick and thin together, and I cherish those times. I know things are different now, and that we have both taken different paths, but I would really appreciate if you could have my back through this. I'm not asking you to do anything special, I just… I need to know that you are okay with me still. That we are still friends, and that you don't hate me."

"Hey, 'Mione, you weren't actually serious about Charlie right?" Ron said with a nervous laugh.

Hermione once again had a smug smirk on her face. "Oh, no, I most definitely was, Ron."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I am so sorry for not updating in so long. My mental health, along with school just got in the way, but I am finishing up my second semester this next week, so I do hope to write more and update more frequently. As for this chapter, I haven't really read through it completely, to be honest. It is getting to be a little tedious; all of the editing and re-reading, so I have just decided to post this as is. It isn't the greatest chapter, but I was hoping to be able to somewhat mend Regulus and Sirius' relationship a little bit more. Ron's appearance was just... Trash writing, pretty much, but I did enjoy the part about Charlie (love him.) Finally, I have the twins finished with, which wasn't the most passionate of scenes but I am keeping it this way as of right now. I just HAD to add in Rita into this chapter, as I felt like I wanted Hermione's darker side to come out a little bit. I really am liking the "bad bitch" Hermione as of lately. (Also, I've recently got into Marvel as well... It's killing me.) Anyway, that is all I have to say for now. I have posted a Pinterest board for the outfit that Hermione wore during the conference. Also, this is random, but I want to know what you all think about perhaps adding in portrait Severus in the future chapters. I have thought about it, and I don't know if I should just leave Snape alone, or bring him into the story more often. Let me know! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading and sticking with me through this long wait. 
> 
> *If there are a few errors that bug you and you would like me to fix, please tell me and I can take a look!


	17. Chapter 17

**WAR HEROINE HAS SEVEN HUSBANDS?**   
  
Wedding bells are in the air for Hermione Granger, former war heroine and brightest witch of her age! Who could the infamous witch have caught the heart of, you wonder? Shockingly, the list adds up to seven wizards, all of which belong to the Sacred 28 ancestry: Lords Sirius and Regulus Black, Lords Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Lord Rabastan Lestrange, Lord Evan Rosier, and Lord Antonin Dolohov. That’s right everyone, you have read correctly; Hermione Granger has managed to bring back seven wizards from the dead, effectively creating a soul bond between the wizards and herself. Although this was said to be an accident, consequently due to a magical object that the famous muggleborn had come across during her job in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. It seems that the emotional bond has already appeared to seal with the men, as her protective streak has now passed onto her seven new husbands. She is quoted here saying, “I, Hermione Granger, forgive them (referring to said wizards.)” **Turn to page 12 to read further.** ****

 

* * *

 

“Well, that was quick,” Hermione said with disdain as she put down the paper that she had been clutching in her hands.   
  
“What did you expect, _Myshka_? I’m surprised it took them only four hours to come out with the full story, I thought it would take no less than 30 minutes,” Antonin growled with a disgusted face. “They’re like vultures, I swear. Constantly on the move for more information and gossip…” 

“Well, that is their job, Dolohov,” Evan snarked back at the disgruntled wizard.

“Rosier," Antonin started, "are you trying to get jinxed today? Because you’re doing a great job at it.”

“Enough with the bickering!” Hermione admonished them, sending a glare along with her words.   
You both are acting like little children.”

The two wizards matched her glare but at each other instead, and fought hard to keep their retorts to themselves.   
  
“So, Princess…” Sirius said under his breath quietly, as he leaned in next to her in her chair.   
  
“What, Sirius?” She asked, eyes still fixed onto the paper sitting on the table.   
  
“About what happened at the end of the speech…" He trailed off. "Was that who I thought it was?”   
  
Hermione's gaze never wavered, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Sirius. You know I was talking to Ron.”   
  
“No," he scoffed, "before that. You know what I am talking about, ‘Mione.”   
  
“Rita Skeeter? Yes, please do explain, Hermione. I saw that as well,” Rabastan said with his bored drawl, the only indication of curiosity being his dark red brow lifting in an arch.   
  
“Who is Rita Skeeter?” Regulus said suddenly.   
  
Hermione let out a sigh and pinched the space between her brows in frustration. “Rita Skeeter is a poor excuse for a witch, and deserves everything that happens to her.”   
  
“ _Happens_? So, what, are you going to lock her into a glass jar again? Hermione, think about what you are doing,” Sirius said with a concerned tone, surprised that he was the one who was talking Hermione down from making a potentially terrible mistake.   
  
“I’m sorry, you did what?! You locked a whole woman into a jar?” Regulus said with wide eyes.   
  
“No, I trapped a whole beetle into a jar. She was in her animagus form, which was illegal, _may I add_ , snooping on Harry and me. She printed off false stories about us both to stir trouble. It was during fourth year, and I only kept her in the jar for a week at the most. It’s really not that big of a deal!”   
  
“Skeeter, Skeeter… Hm. Blonde hair?” Antonin asked.   
  
Hermione nodded in response, and Antonin’s tanned arms crossed over his chest. “I remember her. Tried to make a pass on me one time towards the end of the first War. Annoying slag. I would have rather picked up a witch from Knockturn Alley than shag Rita Skeeter." Leaning back in his chair he continued, "seems like a talker, you know? To spend a whole night with her babbling mouth? No thank you.”   
  
“No, I don’t know, Antonin. Thank you for informing me,” Hermione gritted out, annoyed that her wizard was speaking about having sex with another woman right in front of her.   
  
Antonin smirked at her words and the heat that flared in Hermione’s eyes. “Is that jealousy that I sense, _Myshka_ ?”   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and let out a huff.   
  
Antonin ignored the gesture and leaned forward towards her. “Don’t worry; I’m all yours now. Besides, I’ll be sure to reward you tonight for trapping that crazy witch. You know, I do love it when you get all dark like this, _Myshka_. Your mean streak is what really gets me hard, my little one,” Antonin whispered to Hermione. She couldn’t suppress the shivers that ran through her body, and the action made Antonin’s eyes darken with lust.   
  
She wanted him to pick her up out of her chair and lay her out on the table like a full platter, tasting her body from top to bottom while she ran her fingers through his hair and-   
  
“We’re all still here, remember? Could you save that for later, please?” Evan said with a growl.   
  
Hermione broke out of her daze and blushed when she saw the look on the other men’s faces.   
  
“Right, sorry,” she cleared her throat awkwardly. “Anyway, don’t worry about Rita. I will take care of her soon; I have an idea,” she finished with a blinding smile that held a hint of mischievousness.   
  
“But, Princess, she didn’t do anything wrong today. Right?”   
  
Hermione stood up and moved over toward Sirius, pushing his seat back and bending over his body to cradle his head in her hands.   
  
“Listen to me, Sirius. It isn’t about what she did today. It isn’t even about what she did back then. Well," she paused with a conflicted look on her face, "it is a little bit, but that’s not the point. The point is that Rita Skeeter is dangerous," Hermione said as she ran one of her hands down his cheek towards his facial hair. Her words had all of the men listening, even though she was speaking specifically to the man she was caressing.   
  
"She doesn’t seem like it, but she is, alright? You know what happened during the Triwizard Tournament. You read the stories that she wrote. Her fabricated stories can ruin lives, Sirius," she said with a sigh. "I got hundreds of letters from people who believed what Rita wrote about me, and they weren’t just words. Some letters had jinxes and curses attached to them, and I can’t let that happen again. Not to me, but especially not to all of you." Hermione's eyes now ran around the room, looking at each of the wizards present.

"There is already such a large chance that any of you could be hurt because someone disagrees with you all being here, and Skeeter’s lies will only triple that chance. She’s manipulative, and she’s one of the best at her job. She can twist words flawlessly, in order to make people believe anything. And when it comes down to Rita’s life versus all of yours, believe that I will choose each of yours over hers.” Hermione shook her head, “she is nothing, compared to all of you. Do you understand? If I have to ruin Rita to save all of you, or me as well, then I will do it in a heartbeat. I care about all of you, and I will protect you at any chance I am given.” Hermione finished, as she looked around the table at each of the wizards’ faces. They nodded, touched by her compassion for each of them. Sirius nodded as well, and Hermione turned back to look at his face.

Her eyes roamed over his features, taking in each one to her memory. Once she reached his grey eyes that had been staring intently at her, she let out a small smile. Her thumbs slowly rubbed over the wizard’s cheeks, and Sirius felt his body release all of the tension that had been pent up inside him. He craved so badly to lean forward and grab her by her hips, claiming her lips with his own. His fingers practically tingled with the need of feeling her flesh against his. Just as he was about to bring one of his hands up to place over hers, the sound of a throat clearing entered the room.   
  
“So you’ve done it then, have you?” A cold voice spoke just as Hermione dropped her hands from Sirius’ face and turned her body towards the speaker.   
  
Her arms fell to her waist, and she lifted her chin in confidence as she spoke, “Lucius.”   
  
The sound of the wizard’s cane could be heard as he walked across the wooden floors to stand across from her. “You insolent woman, I told you to hide the boxes, not open them! Did you do it just to spite me, is that it? To throw my valuable information back at me?” He sneered as per usual. “Not only that, but you thought that my own son should know of this mess before me? And to think I was beginning to stand you somewhat.”   
  
A voice just as cold as the blonde wizards spoke next, breaking off any other responses. “Mind who you are speaking to, Lucius.”   
  
“Oh do be quiet Rabastan, would you? Your brother isn’t here anymore to defend your words, so perhaps you should mind your own. We both know who the stronger wizard is here.” Rabastan almost growled at this, and Lucius continued. “You would go as far as to embarrass yourself in front of your lovely new wife?”   
  
“You dare speak of my brother in front of me?” Rabastan spat as he stood from his seat, his hands slamming down on the table. “Last I checked, you used to take orders from him, did you not? And where is your wife, Lucius? Cissa didn’t feel like accompanying you today? I hear she is quite busy in Italy, these days…”   
  
When the Malfoy patriarch heard this, Hermione could swear she almost saw a bit of pink tint his cheeks. “You are pushing it, Lestrange. Your brother is dead, and I no longer take orders from him, nor do I take orders from you.”   
  
“And Narcissa left you. It looks like you’ve done well all these years, old friend, it's really showing.”   
  
“Quite, Lestrange. My son has a boy of his own, and now I can do whatever and whomever I please. I say that is quite convenient if you ask me,” he shrugged as if he didn’t have a care in the world that his wife had left him, and he was now left alone in his manor with only his ancient house elves as company.   
  
“Quit the damn pissing contest,” Regulus sighed quietly in annoyance.   
  
“Lucius,” Hermione finally spoke, “you think I did this on purpose? You moron, why would I give you bloody credit for helping me with this whole thing?! I made damn sure that your name was mentioned so that you would be painted in a good light! This is the thanks I get?”   
  
“And my son?”   
  
“What about your son?!" She threw up her hands in exasperation. "I told Draco because I needed a favor from him. Because I needed _your_ son’s help!”   
  
“That’s beside the point,” the haughty wizard spoke with a small flip of his long blonde hair. “I should have been told what happened, from the beginning. You should be thankful that I gave you the information that I did. And you should have done what I told you, not go and muck it up by doing the complete opposite!”   
  
“I  _am_ thankful, and I did listen to what you said! It was an accident, Lucius! I didn’t crack my fucking head open on purpose like it was for fun. I did everything you suggested, and I gave you a chance to be in the spotlight for helping me!”   
  
“Lucy Lucy Lucy, you are buggering everything up right now,” a voice chuckled out into the tense air.   
  
“Piss off Dolohov. I wasn’t speaking to you, you brute.”   
  
“No, but you were speaking to MY witch. You would be lucky if she brought you back from your grave,” Antonin said with repugnance.     
  
Lucius snarled as he looked Hermione up and down. “Doubtful.”   
  
Hermione lashed out, not even lifting her wand to throw Lucius back against the wall, unable to move. Her chest was heaving in and out from the deep breaths that she was taking, and she stalked slowly towards the tall, blonde wizard that was struggling against her spell.   
  
After a few seconds, Lucius seemed to realize that he could do nothing more, and leveled a glare at Hermione who stood toe-to-toe with him.   
  
“You think you’re such a catch, Lucius?” She questioned, holding back from baring her teeth in anger.   
  
The wizard growled at her question.   
  
“Oh quit the dramatics, Lucius. I am not going to touch you. I just need your attention for a few seconds, alright?”   
  
Malfoy gave her a questionable look, and did nothing but wait for her to speak.   
  
“I have a proposition for you. I’d like to speak with you about it if you can calm down and be a reasonable human being for a few minutes. Can you do that?”   
  
Lucius nodded after contemplation, and a smirk grew over Hermione’s lips. “Great! Now, if I let you go will you sit down and refrain from further bickering?”   
  
Lucius let out a dramatic sigh and nodded once more. He felt his body begin to move freely with no restraint, and he was sat in a spot at the opposite end of the table where Hermione had sat.   
  
“Perfect. Now, would you be in the business for a new pet of some sort? Perhaps, a beetle, by any chance?” Hermione said with a smile.   
  
Just then, Regulus’ head whipped quickly to look at the witch with a surprised face. “Hermione!”   
  
“Now now, Regulus. Let your wife conduct her business.”   
  
Nodding her head towards Lucius, she smiled. “Thank you. As I was saying, I have come across a beetle today that I believe you could find quite useful. Very good at eavesdropping, the first name rhymes with pita, with curly blonde hair, thinks of herself as an immaculate journalist… Ring a bell?”   
  
Lucius almost gasped at her words but settled for lifting a brow in questioning. “You didn’t…”   
  
“Oh,” she chuckled, “but I did.”   
  
“I take back everything I said before, Hermione. What a deceitful little witch you are.”   
  
“Lucius, please, you’re making me blush,” she said in a fake enamored voice.     
  
“And how is obtaining this, _pest_ , a benefit to me?”   
  
“I would like to believe that having her could be a productive asset, should you ever need to keep your name out of the papers, or perhaps, in the papers? Skeeter has quite a sway with her audiences, wouldn’t you agree? Besides, it’s always nice to have connections within the wizarding world. Unfortunately she just so happens to be a connection that I loathe, and don’t find useful. I thought I should at least do something while I have her. So, what do you say? Will you take her off my hands, or shall I dispose of her on my own?”   
  
“Such a way with words, Hermione.” The witch laughed at this until the man spoke again, “and we both know that you would never dispose of her in such a true fashion as your words reign. I shall take her, I suppose. No bodily harm will be done, of course.”   
  
“Of course,” Hermione giggled.

 Regulus shivered when he saw the smile that grew over Hermione’s lips. He was starting to realize that having the two of them together was not the most comforting thing to experience. Something about Hermione and Lucius Malfoy in the same room gave him the chills. “Hermione, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, it’s Lucius Malfoy… I don’t think you can take everything he says into account.”   
  
“Wait, I am Lucius Malfoy?” Said wizard spoke as his eyes widened, “I hadn't the faintest.”     
  
Hermione ran a hand through her hair. “Lucius, enough with the sarcasm. It’s unbecoming of a wizard such as yourself.”

 She let out a deep breath and turned, “Sirius, I did say that I had a plan, and this was my plan. I’ve thought it over, and there is no other option that I can think of. I cannot personally do anything more with Rita, simply because I can’t stand her in my presence. Turning her into Kingsley for her illegal animagus form will do nothing, except earn her a slap on the wrist. They will most likely give her a fine, and then force her to register herself. I cannot just let her go; she needs to learn her lesson. Think of it as negative reinforcement, all of that operant conditioning and whatnot. If I punish her for her actions, she will be less likely to re-commit them. So, what better way than to blackmail her in a way that is more intense than just a simple threat made by me? I trust Lucius to handle Rita.” Sirius slouched in his seat, his head falling back as if he were asking the Gods above what he could do to get his witch to give up on her “brilliant” idea. Nothing came.

“Do you have a different suggestion?” She asked, “If so, please share with the class.”   
  
Sirius sat silently, giving Hermione the answers she was searching for.   
  
“Great, let’s continue,” Hermione says as she summons the jar from upstairs, and lets out a sigh at the sight of the beetle puttering around the clear jar. With a tap, the jar was opened, and the beetle was left on the table.   
  
“I really would rather not speak to her, but I cannot send her away without saying anything. It's honestly too tempting.”   
  
After moving the beetle onto the floor beside her chair, With one more flick of her lithe wrist, the black bug was transformed into Rita’s usual form.   
  
“Rita, how have you been?”   
  
“How dare you?! I will get you for this, Miss Hermione Granger. Smartest witch of her age, my tush. You are nothing but a bossy little brat who has yet to grow up,” the blonde witch screeched out, her hair a mess and her glasses laying crooked on her nose.    
  
“That’s sweet and all, Rita, but the thing is, I really don’t care. You may have gotten to me back in Hogwarts, but you aren’t worth any of my time anymore. That’s why I am handing you over to Lucius. Perhaps you will own up to your misgivings, or not, who knows? I hope, for your sake, that you change your ways because if I see you in my path again, I will smite you. Nothing more and nothing less. That’s all I have to say.” Hermione clapped her hands together with an elated face. “Lucius, I leave her with you for now. Good luck, truly. We will be in touch. Next time something happens, rest assured I will inform you before I tell your son, just for you. Alright?”   
  
“Perhaps.” He said as he stood. “I bid you a good night, Hermione. As for the rest of you- good riddance.”   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes as she heard the sound of the floo activating in the adjacent room.   
  
“That went quite well, actually.”   
  
“Quite well?! ‘Mione, you just gave away a woman. _An entire person_. I don’t think I’d say that was ‘quite well,’” Sirius said, shock showing on his face even though he knew what would end up happening.   
  
“Right,” she replied, “but also, on the bright side, we no longer have to deal with Rita! I just pawned her off onto Lucius, so now he will have to manage her. That’s going to be a proper nightmare if I say so myself.”   
  
“You’re unbelievable…” The eldest Black sighed.   
  
“You bet your sweet arse I am; Don’t forget it,” Hermione said with a wink.   


 

* * *

  
  
Hermione was sat in the library with Regulus; his head cushioned on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair, both of them immersed in their books.   
  
“‘Mione? You there?” Harry’s voice softly rang through the room.   
  
Letting out a sigh, she replied. “Yes, Harry. Is there something you need?”   
  
“Uh yeah, so um, can you just come over here please?”   
  
Regulus looked up at Hermione with eyes filled with pity and sadness.   
  
“Sure, Harry, give me a minute.”   
  
“Hermione, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, the last time you were there…” Regulus trailed off, not wanting to recount the visit.   
  
“I’m sure. It will be fine, okay? You will know if anything upsetting happens. I need to do this, though. It’s been put off for far too long.”   
  
“Alright...” He sighed, his eyes closing as he waited for his witch to return to him.   


 

* * *

  
  
“You called?”   
  
Harry was sat on the couch in the sitting room, his fingers fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt. “I saw the papers… I didn’t know that you were going public with the information, I guess I was just a bit shocked.”   
  
“Well, it had to happen sometime, right? Might as well do it sooner rather than later,” she shrugged.   
  
Harry nodded in understanding. “How has everyone been taking it?”   
  
“Wouldn’t know. I blocked off mail except for a few specific people. If they send it, it’s going to return back to the sender. I’m not having a remake of fourth year if I can prevent it. It’s funny though, Lucius was angry that I had told Draco before I told him. We’ve worked it out though.”   
  
Harry brushed off the comment about the Malfoys, acting as if he hadn’t even heard her say it. “Ron told me he was there, and you guys talked? How did it go?”   
  
“Went about the same as it usually does. He says something to tick me off, then we bicker back and forth, and then we either come to resolve or end up ignoring each other for a while. He understands now. Well, as much as Ron can understand. He and I are fine.”   
  
“Good, that’s great. Yeah… so listen, I wanted to apologize for what happened… it wasn’t fair of me to just sit and do nothing. I should have stuck up for you. I know Gin-" he tried to finish; instead, his words were cut off by the intimidating witch looking at him emotionless.   
  
“Listen, Harry; I get it. She’s your wife. Ginny is just… she’s Ginny, you know? She’s feisty and irrational sometimes, but… I’ve always been there, Harry. Before Ginny and you were even speaking to each other, I was there. And I have never once forgotten that, but it seems like you do. Quite a lot, actually. When everything first went down between Ron and me, you understood. You were on my side, and you understood why I couldn’t be with Ron the way that he wanted. So I thought that you had finally gotten it, you know? I thought that maybe I had finally clicked with you, and then this all happens… and you just sat there. I thought you understood, Harry.”   
  
“I did, I swear Hermione, I-... I was just shocked,” he stumbled with his words, his stutters showcasing just how nervous he was.     
  
“You think that I wasn’t? I mean, come on Harry. This wasn’t exactly easy for me either. I don’t want to sound pitiful, but Gods Harry I think I had more of a reason to be shocked don’t you think?"   
  
“I know there’s ‘no I in team,’ but damn it, Harry, right now there is! Don’t get me wrong you’re a brilliant wizard Harry, but you needed me. You and Ginny can both pretend like your love for each other is what got everyone through the war, but it’s just not true. You cannot rewrite the past and just add Ginny in place of me. It wouldn’t have worked Harry. Ginny is great too, but she was not apart of this. I helped you survive Harry, and to this day I still do almost everything for you. When are you going to do something for me, Harry? When will you treat me like I matter?”   
  
“Now just hold on a second, Hermione. Just because Ginny wasn’t there when we were hunting for Horcruxes or when the troll was in the bathroom, doesn’t mean that she didn’t help out. She was there at Hogwarts when the death eaters took over. She was trapped in there for a whole year, ‘Mione!”   
  
“And? So was Neville. Who, might I add, killed Nagini. Where was Ginny? She was fighting, sure, but anything else?” Hermione said cruelly, though she knew a part of her words were truthful. Silence ensued for a short while until she couldn’t take it any longer.   
  
“You sit there, and tell me that you are sorry, but only have the guts to stand up for Ginny when I say something that you don’t want to hear, yet you couldn't do the same for me when Ginny wanted to have a row. Look at yourself, Harry. You're a hypocrite, and until you can think for yourself, then I don’t want to hear your half-hearted apologies. Let me know when that happens, and then maybe we can continue our chat.”   
  
"I'm sorry, alright? Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg? Because I will if that's what it takes, Hermione," the wizard said, his bright green eyes looking up at Hermione with sadness, but she couldn’t be swayed.   
  
"But do you _actually_ understand anything that I am saying, Harry? Things are only going to get tougher around here for me, and I can't have you apart of this if you aren't going to be all in. And right now, both you and Ginny aren’t showing me any of that."   
  
Harry nodded his head decisively. "We will. I promise, 'Mione. Gin and I will do it; we'll back you on this 100%."   
  
"Then prove it to me," she said with finality. Harry nodded his head and watched as the witch turned back towards the floo and disappeared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a random chapter upload. Sorry for being gone for so long, although it seems to be a habit recently. I have no excuses, just lack of motivation and writer's block. I could have written, but I simply did not. I was so invested in this story when I first started it, and now the hype has died down, and that has been a significant factor in why I haven't any motivation. This chapter has been written for months now but was never edited until now. It isn't a gripping chapter, so I apologize for that. Anyway, I hope at least a few of you enjoy this chapter. I am still alive everyone, so don't worry!


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